PHC orders govt to resolve fuel crisis in 3 days

Asks Ministry for Petroleum to submit a report

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) has ordered the federal government to resolve the ongoing fuel crisis across the country and submit a report to the court in three days.

A two-member bench, comprising Justice Qaiser Rashid Khan and Justice Ahmed Ali, issued this ordered on Thursday while hearing a slew of petitions filed against petrol and flour crisis.

Earlier, Federal Minister for Petroleum Omar Ayub appeared before the court.

The bench noted that at first the people faced a wheat crisis and now there is a shortage of petrol. It said the minister was summoned so that the public could get quick relief.

The minister told the court that some oil marketing companies had become a “mafia” and were creating this “artificial shortage”. The court directed the government to legislate against hoarding and identify the culprits. It adjourned hearing of the cases till June 17.

Talking to media after the hearing, Omar Ayub said supply of petroleum products would improve in the next three days. “We will try to improve the situation in the coming days. We have arrested a number of people [involved in creating this shortage] and registered cases against them,” he said.

He said on the orders of Prime Minister Imran Khan, the Ministry of Petroleum, the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) and the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) have taken joint action against those who are hoarding fuel.

“We want to provide relief to the people. Action against hoarders is under way. The mafia is creating problems to stop people from getting benefit of reduced fuel prices,” he added.



He said the demand of petroleum products is 30% higher than the current supply.

The petrol prices have continued to drop in the international markets in the wake of coronavirus pandemic. The government has also reduced prices of fuel to transfer the benefit to people. However, there has emerged a shortage of fuel in various parts of the country.

On Tuesday, the federal cabinet also took serious notice of this “artificial” shortage as Prime Minister Imran Khan directed the petroleum division and Ogra to ensure the supply of petrol across the country within 48 to 72 hours.

He had instructed the petroleum ministry and Ogra to ensure that every oil marketing company maintains a 21-day stock to meet its licence conditions and also ordered concerned authorities to take strict action against those responsible for creating the “artificial” shortage.

According to the state-run oil marketing company, the Pakistan State Oil (PSO), most of the oil marketing companies, operating in the country, did not have 21 days reserves of the petroleum products in April despite the fact that they were bound by licensing requirements to ensure a minimum of 21 days of consumption cover of all petroleum products at all times.

The PSO said when the demand for petroleum products increased in May, the companies had only two to three days of fuel stock and all burden shifted to the PSO.