Citizens continued to face problems in Lahore due to an acute shortage of petrol even on the seventh day, though all CNG stations remained open on Tuesday.
According to official sources, 70 per cent of petrol pumps were closed, and only Pakistan State Oil (PSO) petrol stations were open. Some petrol stations were packed with people.
Talking to APP on Tuesday, people said that in Samanabad petrol was not available, especially in the morning and they had to postpone their routine activities. They complained that some petrol stations and agencies were overcharging.
Quetta city has also been facing acute shortages of petrol these days. On Tuesday, a large number of motorcyclists and motorists were witnessed gathered at filling stations but they went without petrol. The crisis began in the city before Eidul Fitr and despite orders by Balochistan Chief Minister Nawab Aslam Raisani to ease the situation, the problem has persisted.
In the city, over 25 petrol pumps are functioning legally while there are also a large number of illegal filling stations selling Iranian petrol at Rs120 to Rs150. Commissioner Quetta Muhammad Nasim Lehri held a meeting with petrol pump owners recently, urging them to end the artificial shortage of petrol.
The minister for petroleum chaired a meeting in Islamabad on Tuesday to review the prevailing scarcity of petrol. The minister was informed that enough petrol is available to last 18 days.
The meeting was told that (Parco), Attock Oil Refinery and National Oil Refinery were producing oil according to the country’s demand. The prevailing shortage has been created because petrol dealers are hands in glove with each other.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 22nd, 2010.
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