Petroleum Dealers Accuse Oil Companies of Artificial Fuel Shortage

The Pakistan Petroleum Dealers Association (PPDA) has accused oil marketing companies (OMCs) of deliberately restricting fuel supplies to petrol pumps, despite clear directives from the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA). PPDA Senior Vice Chairman Malik Khuda Bakhsh said that some OMCs are holding back deliveries to dealers in anticipation of potential price increases due to escalating Iran-Israel tensions. He stressed that this supply manipulation is occurring despite OGRA’s requirement for OMCs to maintain a 20-day fuel stock under their operating licenses. Current reserves are sufficient to cover this demand for over 20 days. The Senior Vice Chairman urged the government and OGRA to intervene immediately to prevent artificial shortages, warning that engineered supply disruptions would hurt consumers and damage public trust in the government. He reassured the public that there is no genuine fuel shortage at present and emphasized the need for strict enforcement of OGRA’s monitoring protocols to ensure uninterrupted fuel availability.