Govt ensures uninterrupted fuel supply amid law & order concerns

Federal Minister for Petroleum Ali Pervaiz Malik on Thursday assured that the government was taking all necessary measures to ensure that fuel supplies remain uninterrupted in case of any law-and-order situation or road closures.

The minister also directed all relevant stakeholders to make advance arrangements and ensure smooth movement of petroleum products.

The development came during a meeting held to review payments under the Prime Minister’s Fuel Relief Scheme, as well as supply chain, transportation and logistics arrangements to ensure uninterrupted availability of petroleum products across the country, read a statement.

The meeting was attended by representatives of Pakistan Railways, OGRA, Oil Companies Advisory Council (OCAC), Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs), Pakistan Petroleum Dealers Association (PPDA), All Pakistan Petrol Pump Owners Association (APPPDA) & relevant officials.

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Chairing the meeting, the minister appreciated the petroleum dealers’ associations for their cooperation and full support for the Prime Minister’s Fuel Relief Scheme.

Additional Secretary Railways assured the meeting that Pakistan Railways would provide maximum availability of train bogies for transportation of High Speed Diesel (HSD), particularly to ensure continuity of supplies in KP during any disruption to road transportation.

The minister directed Pakistan State Oil (PSO) to make advance arrangements for adequate fuel availability at its depots. PSO informed the meeting that, anticipating possible disruptions, additional stocks had already been arranged at critical depots to ensure uninterrupted supplies.

OGRA informed the meeting that a dedicated control room had been established for crisis management and coordination to ensure continued availability of petroleum products at retail outlets.

Malik also directed that steps be taken for uninterrupted crude supply and product dispatch for Attock Refinery Limited (ARL) to avoid any shutdown arising from logistical constraints.

The meeting also reviewed the payment mechanism under the Prime Minister’s Fuel Relief Scheme. It was informed that out of approximately 10,000+ petrol pumps, payments had been made to over 8,500 pumps by Thursday, with the number increasing every day.

The minister directed that minor issues, including account number mismatches, must be resolved on an urgent basis so that payments to remaining petrol pumps are processed without delay and the public continues to receive relief under the scheme.

Ali Pervaiz further directed OGRA to take action against any petrol pump found denying eligible customers the fuel relief provided under the scheme.

Chairman Pakistan Petroleum Dealers Association Malik Khuda Baksh said that the scheme was working successfully and assured the government of the association’s continued support. He said the dealers were cooperating with the government in implementation of the initiative.

 All Pakistan Petrol Pump Owners Association’s Humayun Khan and Nauman Butt expressed gratitude to the government for taking the petrol pump owners on board and said that their association fully supported the scheme.

Chairman OCAC Nawed Tanwir Abbasi said that the scheme was working successfully and termed it a good initiative aimed at providing relief to the public.