KARACHI: All Pakistan Oil Tankers Association (APOTA) will be observing a countrywide strike beginning Monday to protest against the safety regulations of Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) as well as against the penalties levied by Motorway police, APOTA Chairperson Yousaf Shahwani is reported to have said.
The owners of oil tankers pay three months advance tax to the government, but it fails to provide them with any relief. OGRA and Motorway police are treating them unfairly, making the situation worse, he said.
Moreover, the patrolling police are harassing the oil tanker owners in Punjab, and in Sindh, the excise police extort them, Shahwani informed.
The matters of oil tankers have been delegated to OGRA with all decisions being decided behind closed doors without any consultations.
The association members have decided to halt the supply of oil to fuel stations in protest for an indefinite period until their demands are met.
Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources has today clarified that there are sufficient stocks of petrol and diesel in the country.
In a statement, Director-General Oil of the Ministry said stocks worth eleven days of petrol and eighteen days of diesel are available in the country.
In addition, four ships carrying petrol are anchored at Karachi, he informed.
OGRA decided to implement the safety rules after the oil tanker incident in Ahmedpur East, which claimed lives of over 200 people.
