The All Pakistan Petrol Pumps Association (APPPA) has postponed its planned nationwide strike after Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik assured fuel dealers that their longstanding concerns would be addressed, according to local media reports.
Speaking at a joint press conference with the minister, the association’s Information Secretary, Nadeem Khan, said the decision was taken after the government pledged to resolve the industry’s key demands.
“We have been assured that our issues will be addressed, so we are postponing the call to shut down petrol pumps,” Khan said.
He added that the long-standing issue of dealer margins was expected to be resolved within the next two weeks.
Association member Raja Waseem said the government had informed dealers that the introduction of daily petrol and diesel pricing was being implemented on a 15-day trial basis.
He said dealers had considered a nationwide strike after facing prolonged challenges but welcomed the government’s decision to engage in dialogue.
“We are thankful to the government and the petroleum minister for listening to us. We hope our issues will be resolved within two weeks,” Waseem said.
Addressing the media, Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik said the government was finalising a proposal to resolve the dealer margin issue, which would soon be submitted to the federal cabinet for approval.
He added that both the Ministry of Petroleum and the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) were committed to resolving the matter at the earliest opportunity.
“If there is no progress, we will sit together again after two weeks,” the minister said.