May 23, 2008	Friday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 17, 1429

MUZAFFARGARH, May 22: The shortage of petrol and diesel at petrol pumps, created a flour-crisis like situation in the city on Thursday and the prices of petrol and diesel scaled up to unbelievable heights – Rs110 and Rs80 per litre here.

Petrol pumps were shut as a result of oil-tankers strike who had stopped supplies four days ago to press the Pakistan State Oil (PSO) to raise their transportation charges besides arranging insurances for oil-tanker drivers. Dawn learnt late on Thursday that a team of PSO officials from Karachi had negotiated with transporters and pursued them to end the strike.

Later, Kot Addu DDOR Zafar Iqbal, who says he helped the PSO bring oil-tanker owners on dialogue table, also confirmed that oil-tankers would end their strike late on Thursday.

Oil agencies, however, the most benefactress of the PSO-tankers infighting sold the fuel to desperate motorists at inflated rates.

Only petrol pumps did not wear deserted looks but PSO’ main depot in Mahmood Kot was also devoid of any oil-tankers’ movement as oil-tanker drivers and owners blocked all roads leading to the PSO terminal, according to Yousaf Shahwani, who claims to be the leader of the Oil-Tanker Owners’ Association and also owns a fleet of oil carriers. He said they had locked the gates of the PSO terminal. He said they had been on strike since Monday but the PSO did not accept their demands. He said the aftermaths of the strike, however, were visible only in Muzaffargarh on Thursday.

When Dawn contacted District Coordination Officer Tariq Javed Malik, he said he was trying to end the strike of oil-tankers.

Mr Shahwani said the PSO had not revised the fares of oil-tankers for the last three years and denied insurance for the drivers of oil carrying vehicles. He said PSO officials harassed them.

He blamed a top PSO official of corruption, saying he had leased out oil supply contracts to his favourites.

He said PSO official Hanif Sultan said the strike was result of oil-tanker owners infighting as Mr Shahwani wanted to be the president of owners’ association. He said the PSO revised the transportation charges in accordance with company laws.

He said the PSO kept on supplying oil to other parts of the country through oil trains. He, however, welcomed the end of the oil-tankers strike.