Filling stations in KP postpone strike after assurance

PESHAWAR. The owners of filling stations on Friday postponed their strike after getting an assurance from the government to accept their demand regarding increase in profit margin.

However, the dealers warned that they would go on strike for an indefinite period from November 20 if the government did not honour its commitment. Speaking at a news conference, Sarhad Petroleum and Cartage Dealers Association Chairman Abdul Majid Khan said the government had promised to raise their profit margin, therefore, the association was going to postpone its strike for now.

He said a delegation of the All Pakistan Petroleum Dealers Association led by its Chairman Abdul Sami Khan held a meeting with Federal Minister Hammad Azhar, secretary Petroleum, officials of the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) and others.

He said the government at the meeting assured the association that its demand regarding the increase in the profit margin by 6 per cent would be met. Flanked by the association’s Vice-Chairman Taimur Zeb and General Secretary Gul Nawaz Afridi, Majid Khan said the central association would send a summary to the Petroleum Division within three days.

He said the association had been demanding an increase in profit margin for the last three years, but the government was unwilling to accept it. He said doing business had become difficult as the expenditure kept rising.

The association’s chairman said that 80 per cent filling stations would shut down if the government didn’t increase the profit margin. He said the increase in profit margin was essential owing to increasing price-hike, collection of multiple taxes, increase in staff/employees’ salaries and other expenditures.

Majid Khan added that the current profit margin was Rs3.91 per litre, after paying off various taxes. He said the government had raised the electricity tariff manifold while frequent power loadshedding compelled them to use generators, which has added to increase in their expenditure.