Petrol pump owners defer strike call after talks with petroleum minister

Pakistan’s petrol pump owners have put off a planned nationwide strike for two weeks after fresh talks with Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik, easing the threat of an immediate disruption in fuel supply.

The move came a day after the All Pakistan Petroleum Pump Owners Association (APPPOA) said it would shut stations nationwide from Wednesday night following the collapse of earlier talks with the government over daily petroleum pricing issues. According to the association, the latest round of negotiations produced a temporary breakthrough.

Speaking to the media, Malik said the government had assured the stakeholders that their concerns would be addressed within the next two weeks. On that basis, the strike call was deferred, giving both sides time to continue discussions.

The development suggests that tensions between the fuel retailers and the government remain unresolved, but immediate industrial action has been averted for now. The association’s earlier announcement had raised the prospect of disruption for motorists across the country if petrol pump closures went ahead as planned.

The reported talks were focused on grievances linked to daily petroleum pricing, an issue that has repeatedly drawn attention from fuel retailers. No further details were available in the feed on the specific demands raised by the association or the measures the government said it would consider during the two-week period.

This report is based on a monitored public feed and attributed to Dawn Home.

Source: Dawn Home - https://www.dawn.com/news/2017561/petrol-pump-owners-defer-strike-call-after-talks-with-petroleum-minister