As per the government’s commitment, the 5 percent profit margin will increase per liter profit from 6 PKR (2.4 percent) to 12 PKR (5 percent) at current prices of petrol and diesel. A dealer said that Minister of State (Petroleum Division) Mussadiq Malik has contacted the PPDA and promised to hold a meeting in Karachi on the issue. “But if no meeting is held and no satisfactory outcome is found, the strike will continue except for two days of Muharram to ensure that religious events are not affected,” the dealer said.
‘We are not asking for anything suddenly’
As per the latest working with effect from July 16, the profit margin of the dealers is PKR 7 per liter instead of PKR 6 per litre. However, the dealers have demanded a 5 per cent hike, which would result in a profit of PKR 12 per litre. Another dealer said, “We are not asking for anything suddenly. This is a commitment made by the government to us after assuming office in April 2022. Since then, we have been trying to reach Malik and have been met with indifference in response. This has added to our frustration.
danger of hanging in limbo for three to six months
Malik Khuda Bakhsh, a petroleum dealer in Karachi, said, ‘Our concerns over the government’s commitment are valid and now, we are also unsure about its fulfillment as the term of the government is coming to an end. The fear is that they may remain in limbo for three to six months during the caretaker setup and till the next government takes over. Apart from the PPDA demand, another major issue of concern for the government is the smuggling of petroleum products from Iran, especially diesel, whose sale in the local market has hit dealers with at least 30 per cent shortfall in business. There are at least 12,000 filling stations in Pakistan and at least 10,000 of them are part of the PPDA.