All Pakistan Oil Tankers Owners Association (APOTOA) Tuesday announced that it will continue its countryside strike as their negotiations with Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) failed. The secretary Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources held a meeting with the Ogra and APOTOA regarding ongoing inspection of oil tankers. The meeting ended without any fruitful result.
Chairperson Ogra, Uzma Adil Khan, Director General Oil Abdul Jabbar Memon along with representatives of National Highway Authority (NHA), Motor Vehicles Examination & Vehicle Fitness Authority and Explosive Department. Chairman Yousaf Shahwani represented APOTOA. Sources said that ministry has scheduled another meeting with the APOTOA on Wednesday (today), but officially the ministry did not confirm it. Meanwhile, long queues of two and four wheelers were seen outside petrol stations in twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi, waiting to fill their fuel tanks amidst speculation that petrol will soon dry.
Representatives of APOTOA refused to observe technical standards enforced by the Ogra after incident of Ahmadpur Sharqia, which left more than 200 people dead. They forced Ogra to stop ongoing inspection of oil tankers. After the negotiations, Yousaf Shahwani told media persons that it was not possible for the tankers owners to immediately implement technical standards for transportation of petroleum products 2009 of Ogra in the country. He said it required some time to match oil tankers with the technical standards of the Ogra.
He accused chairperson Ogra that she was not ready to listen to demands and problems of oil tankers association. He said that the ministry was sympathetic, while listening to their demands, but the chairperson Ogra was stubborn in the meeting. He argued that she (Ogra chairperson) had said Ogra had the mandate to negotiate only with Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs). He said that oil tankers have been running on motorway as per specifications of National Highways Authority (NHA) for last 10 years. He demanded that previous system should be restored. According to a survey by independent third party inspectors of OGRA found that 11704 oil tankers have been registered in the country and 4650 vehicles are fit to carry the petroleum products. Only 40 percent oil tankers are compliance with the safety standards framed by the Ogra. As many as 38 percent oil tankers have road fitness certificates. Only 44 percent comply with the rules and regulations of NHA.
Ogra spokesman alleged that some OMCs are backing oil tankers association. He told mediapersons that the authority is ready to entertain their genuine concerns if association comes for talk. He categorically said that the Ogra would not be blackmailed by the association.
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