Citizens are likely to face shortage of fuel on Wednesday as the oil tanker owners announced to continue strike after they failed to negotiate with government on charter of demands on Tuesday. People thronged to various petrol pumps to get their vehicles filled on Tuesday evening as soon as they knew that talks between All Pakistan Oil Tanker Owners' Association (APOTOA) and Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) ended inconclusively.
APOTOA has observed the countrywide fuel supply strike against 'tough' OGRA safety regulations, harassment of motorway and excise police, besides a set of issues with the government. Dozens of oil fuel carriers have been parked at different city locations including the Shireen Jinnah Colony for the last couple of days. The tanker owners also set up protest camps at the same site to express solidarity with APOTOA. The OGRA officials said over 60 percent tankers in the country fail to meet the safety and fitness standards of the regulatory authority. They said actions are being taken only against the violators who are playing with the lives, wealth and properties of the countrymen.
The Ahmadpur Sharqia oil tanker incident that left nearly 200 people dead, prompted the OGRA officials to take stern action against the oil tanker owners who do not comply with the authority's safety regulations and playing with the public lives and wealth. However, on the other hand, the oil tanker owners blamed OGRA and police officials for harassing them and minting money out of their pockets under the aegis of different regulations.