Petrol Prices: Pump owners observe strike in Jhang

FAISALABAD: Petrol pump owners in have Jhang have announced a strike and complete closure of sale indefinitely starting from Friday as a protest against increase in oil tariff. The strike was called by Asif Ali Chishti, the Petroleum Association Jhang general secretary. He said the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority was increased rates of oil products arbitrarily resulting in a bad effect on their businesses. He said Ogra had issued a rate schedule for petrol pumps according to which only Rs1.6 per liter profit had been given to pump owners. He said this was insufficient to run the business. “We met local administration officials and members of the parliaments and government functionaries several times to requested them to cap this random increase in oil price, but to no avail.” Chishti said when pump owners protested against the recent increase in oil prices, the administrations threatened them with FIRs. He said the pump owners were being forced to accept Ogra-issued rates. He demanded that the government provide at least Rs5 per liter profit on petrol.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 30^th, 2013.