KARACHI:
Efforts are being made to upgrade fuel standards in Pakistan because of which the supply of Euro-V level petrol and diesel has been made accessible. However, the purpose of such an initiative would be defeated if low-grade petrol and diesel is smuggled from Iran. Due to its high Sulphur content, the fuel can cause irreparable damage to the atmosphere. Rising inflation and lust for profit have forced people to resort to cheaper means and so the demand for cheap fuel, and consequently its smuggling, has exacerbated.
The ordinary buyer remains unaware of the type of fuel they are being sold at petrol stations. With the countries moving towards an environmentally friendly future, the use of Iranian smuggled fuel may undo all the initiatives being taken to combat climate change and global warming. Therefore, the government and concerned authorities must patrol in border areas with Iran more vigilantly in order to stop the smuggling of fuel. Those who are caught in the act should be given exemplary punishment through due process.
However, if one is to analyse, the problem arises on both ends of the social spectrum — where the poor resort to desperate means of earning a living, while the rich are ready to go to any length in order to maximise their profits. Here, it becomes clear that such a situation is the result of extreme inequality.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 19th, 2020.
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