Crippled: Fuel crisis aggravates in G-B

Security forces facing difficulty in ensuring security during Muharram.

GILGIT: The on-going fuel crisis in Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B) has further compounded the miseries of the people as the harsh weather, coupled with strict security measures, has restricted movement of people in the region.

“The fuel crisis has multiplied our problems and the freezing cold is making things worse,” complained Rehman Khan, a resident of Gilgit, on Thursday. He said that most of the public transporters have stopped service and the few that are functional overcharge the passengers.

Khan works in a druggist store, and has to go to work daily using public transport.

“We have been directed by the district administration not to issue diesel and petrol to the people,” said Jehangir Khan, a filling station owner in Gilgit. Only those who are allowed by the district administration are issued fuel and that too in limited quantity. He said that due to the strike being observed by the oil tankers, the fuel stock has depleted.

Long queues of vehicles are seen outside petrol pumps in the cold weather with expectations that the strike may end at anytime. The temperature recorded this week in Gilgit was -11 degree Celsius.

The fuel crisis has created hardships for security forces as well, who have to increase patrolling on roads to ensure security during Ashura.

A district government official, on condition of anonymity, said that negotiations with the Tankers Association are underway but “it is uncertain when the crisis will end”.

Neither the assistant commission, nor the deputy commissioner could be contacted till the filing of this report, as they were reported to be busy with managing issues regarding Ashura processions.

The fuel-crisis started earlier this month and was prolonged when the Tankers Association stopped transporting petroleum products to filling stations, saying that the rent being offered to them to transport fuel from Rawalpindi to Gilgit is “too little”.  A member of the Tankers Association said they are being provided Rs55,000 to transport fuel from Rawalpindi to Gilgit, which is insufficient to even meet their transpiration costs.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 17^th, 2010.