Petrol pumps to observe countrywide strike tomorrow

Lahore: The Pakistan Petroleum Dealers Association (PPDA) has announced a countrywide strike from tomorrow (November 25) to protest selling petrol "on low-profit margins", adding that the strike could continue for an "unspecified period".

The association’s spokesperson said that petrol pumps across the country will close at 6 am from Thursday for an indefinite period across the country, including Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu, and Kashmir.

During a press conference, PPDA’s Secretary Noman Butt maintained that the government has continued to ignore their demands, adding that they would not hold talks with authorities till their profit margins on the sale of petroleum products are not increased by 6%.

“We have no other choice but to strike because the government has failed to meet the November 17 deadline for our demands,” the spokesperson said.

Despite a nationwide strike, petrol pump owners announced that only ambulances will be able to get petrol from Thursday.

Earlier, the association had called for a strike on November 5, too, but withdrew the call after the government agreed to increase the margin by 6 percent on the sale of petroleum products within a few days.