PMD all set to shut down petrol stations from tomorrow

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Petroleum Dealers Association (PPDA) has announced that its talks with provincial and federal governments and other stakeholders had hit a deadlock, leaving them with no option but to go for a nationwide closure on July 5 (tomorrow).

“They asked us to call off strike and promised to resolve the issue, but we cannot postpone the strike on mere assurances,” PPDA chairman Abdul Sami Khan said while speaking to Dawn.

He explained that he met almost every stakeholder in the government, including those he could not name, besides the finance minister, chairman of the Federal Board of Revenue, Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority chief, petroleum secretary and representatives of the oil marketing companies’ advisory council, but dealers’ complaints remained unaddressed.

Pakistan has met all requirements for IMF bailout deal: top official

“There would be no more talks with the government till the ‘unfair’ turnover tax was withdrawn,” Mr Khan said, adding the pumps would start drying out on Thursday. He said the double taxation was not only cruel but unconstitutional as well.

Mr Khan said that more than 13,000 petrol stations would be closed from July 5 at 6am onward and the strike could continue over the following days unless demands were met and notified. He appealed to the owners and operators of retail outlets to keep their stocks for July 4.