Petrol Pumps Stay Open as Dealers Suspend Strike After Government Assurances on Fuel Commission
A nationwide shutdown lost momentum after divisions among petroleum dealers, while the government pledged to review commission and fuel pricing issues within 15 days.
Customers refuel their vehicles at an operational petrol station during the nationwide strike call.
Petrol Pumps across most of Pakistan continued operating on Thursday after a split among petroleum dealers weakened a nationwide shutdown call. In a late-night development, the All Pakistan Petroleum Pump Owners Association (APPPOA) suspended its strike for 15 days following government assurances to address key demands.
APPPOA Vice Chairman Noman Butt said the government had agreed to move a summary within two weeks to implement the increase in dealers’ commission approved by the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) in December. Officials also pledged to review the issue of daily petroleum pricing during the same period. APPPOA Chairman Humayun Khan later confirmed that the association had withdrawn the strike call.
The dispute centres on a commission increase approved by the ECC, which proposed raising dealers’ earnings from Rs8.64 to Rs9.98 per litre in two phases by June 2026. The federal cabinet, however, delayed implementation until the digitalisation of fuel stock management and sales is completed.
Petrol Strike: Petroleum Dealers Announce 24-Hour Nationwide Shutdown
The strike lost much of its impact after the Pakistan Petroleum Dealers Association (PPDA), a rival group, refused to support the protest. As a result, fuel stations in Lahore, Faisalabad, Multan, Islamabad, Karachi and most other major cities remained open, allowing motorists to purchase fuel without significant disruption.
Some rural areas and stretches of the GT Road reported temporary pump closures, while Peshawar experienced the most noticeable impact, with around 70 per cent of fuel stations shutting down during the day.
Petrol pump owners in Lahore said they rejected the strike because their agreements with oil marketing companies require them to keep stations operational around the clock. Several owners also pointed to divisions within dealer organisations, saying the industry no longer speaks with one voice.
In southern Punjab, district administrations intervened to prevent the closure of fuel stations, ensuring supplies remained available to the public.
Former petroleum dealers’ association president Zafar Mazari claimed that a large number of pumps along the Karachi-to-Rahim Yar Khan route had observed the shutdown. However, he acknowledged that the dealers’ movement remains divided between different factions.
PPDA Chief Adviser Malik Khuda Bukhsh said nearly all petrol pumps nationwide remained operational, except for a limited number owned by the rival group in Peshawar. He added that Federal Minister for Energy Ali Pervaiz Malik assured dealers that the government would work to resolve their legitimate concerns within the next two weeks.
Earlier this week, APPPOA had announced plans to close nearly 15,000 petrol pumps after negotiations with the government failed. Dealers oppose the proposed daily fuel pricing mechanism and are demanding an 8 per cent commission, which they estimate would amount to roughly Rs25 per litre, compared with the current commission of Rs8.64 per litre. They also want the government to remove supply quotas imposed by oil marketing companies.
Although some local dealer representatives reported partial participation in the strike, the majority of fuel stations across Punjab and several other regions remained open, limiting the disruption to fuel supplies nationwide.
