Running on empty…

Filling stations in several districts in Punjab stopped selling petrol, diesel and CNG.

SIALKOT/ FAISALABAD: Filling stations in several districts stopped selling petrol, diesel and CNG on Sunday as a fuel shortage gripped the province.

There is a major shortage of petrol, diesel and CNG in Sialkot, where most gas stations are displaying placards and banners stating that there is no petrol or CNG available.

“We have been going to the station to get petrol for nearly two days and have tried every PSO pump we can find but they all say they are out of petrol and CNG,” said Javed, a motorcyclist.

Long queues of vehicles can be seen in and around filling stations and CNG stations in Daska, Bhopalwala, Sambrial, Uggoki, Pasrur, Satrah, Badiana, Chawinda and surrounding areas. Locals say that they have spent hours waiting for petrol in the humid weather.

In some cases, people accused owners of petrol stations of deliberately hoarding fuel. Several commuters parked their cars on the road and began chanting slogans against the government and filling station authorities. The perturbed people have urged Gujranwala division commissioner Saeed Wahala and Sialkot district coordination officer (DCO) Mujahid Sher Dil to take serious notice of the situation and order filling stations to provide fuel for commuters.

In Sargodha, several people have begun selling canisters of petrol on the black market at exorbitant prices. “I ended up purchasing three canisters of petrol from a group of men on a street corner. I paid Rs1,000 per canister,” said Allah Ditta, a van owner.

Long queues of motorcycles and cars can be seen at nearly all petrol pumps in Faisalabad. The petrol pumps is limiting the petrol it sells to Rs100 to motorcyclists and Rs300 to car owners. Shopkeepers have started selling petrol at high rates in various areas of the city. Locals have said that the district administration is not taking any action against those selling the petrol on the black market. “The authorities are doing nothing about black market sales which means that wealthy people can still drive their cars as they can afford the prices. But we can’t do anything,” said motorcycle owner Shaukat.

Punjab chief minister Shahbaz Sharif has demanded that an inquiry be initiated into why Punjab was the worst-hit by the fuel shortage.

Sharif has written a letter to Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani protesting at the current fuel crisis in the province. He said that the province’s business, industrial and commercial sectors had been paralysed by the fuel shortage. Some estimates suggest up to fifty percent of fuel stations across Punjab have shut down operations entirely.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 20^th, 2010.