ISLAMABAD: Petroleum dealers and the government failed to reach an agreement during talks in Islamabad on Thursday, with dealers maintaining their decision to begin a nationwide strike on Saturday morning.
A delegation from the Pakistan Petroleum Dealers Association (PPDA), led by Chairman Malik Khuda Bakhsh, held talks with the Ministry of Petroleum for nearly five hours.
The dealers urged Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik to honour his earlier commitment to approve their demands within 15 days. However, the minister did not agree to fulfil the commitment.
Dealers Reject Existing Pricing System
The talks remained tense as both sides discussed the dealers’ concerns over the petroleum pricing mechanism.
The dealers said the government had refused to change the existing system of daily revisions in petroleum product prices.
The government, however, assured the delegation that it would consider increasing dealers’ margins by Rs1.34 per litre, subject to approval from the federal cabinet.
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The petroleum dealers said the assurance did not resolve their broader concerns.
The meeting also saw the petroleum minister express displeasure over the 72-hour strike ultimatum issued by the dealers.
Dealers Prepare for Strike
Following the unsuccessful talks, the petroleum dealers decided to return to Karachi.
The PPDA also called an emergency meeting of its Executive Committee in Karachi to discuss the next course of action.
PPDA Chairman Malik Khuda Bakhsh said the dealers remained firm on their decision to launch the strike on Saturday morning.
He said petroleum dealers would shut their businesses as part of the planned protest.
The delegation included PPDA Vice Chairman Tariq Hassan, Vice Chairman Anwar Kamal, Sindh President Ameer Khan, Punjab Vice Chairman Raja Wasim, Chaudhry Babar, Khawaja Kashif Elahi and Abdul Majid Khan from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, among others.
