December 6, 2002	Friday	Shawwal 1,1423

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PESHAWAR, Dec 5: With the reduction in oil prices by the government last week, the dealers of smuggled fuel have also cut down prices by one rupee a litre in their bid to remain in the competition.

Smuggled Petrol is sold openly on the city streets and footpaths at Rs24 a litre for the car-owners, but the rate for the rickshaw and pickup-owners, who are the major consumers of the smuggled petrol, is Rs23 a litre.

The smugglers’ decision follows the two fortnighly reductions by the Petroleum Companies Advisory Committee who had cut down the rate from Rs35.21 to Rs30.25 a litre.

The smuggling of Iranian petrol starts early in the morning and goes on until evening through public transport. Smugglers bring the Iranian petrol from Bara to Peshawar in 31-litre cans and than distribute it to the vendors who are seen in every street and corner of the city.

Thanks to the law enforcement agencies’ indifference, people have got a relief.

The price of one litre petrol in Afghanistan is Rs12 and its transportation to Pakistan costs Rs6 a litre. Besides tankers, horses and camels are used in the smuggling of petrol purchased by the smugglers in Jalalabad, Afghanistan, and stored at Akakhel Meerwal area of the Khyber Agency.

Miranshah, the headquarters of the North Waziristan, receives its share of smuggled petrol from Khost.

“It is the responsibility of the government to provide the fuel on reasonable rates. And after the government’s failure we have shouldered the responsibility to provide relief to the general public,” Irfanullah, a smuggled petrol seller in Bara Gate, told this correspondent on Thursday.