July 23, 2008	Wednesday	Rajab 19, 1429

PESHAWAR, July 22: The Kerosene Oil Dealers Association NWFP on Tuesday announced that they would not buy oil from Taro Jabba dept of Pakistan State Oil as a protest against the ‘forced purchase’ of Mobil oil to them.

The dealers criticised officials of Pakistan State Oil in Peshawar for what they called forcing them to purchase Mobil oil with kerosene.

They said the increasing prices of petroleum products had already broken back of the people and PSO officials were further multiplying their agonies.

Speaking at a press conference at Peshawar Press Club, Mohammad Shah and other dealers said they had been dealing only in the business of kerosene and had nothing to do with the lubricants (Mobil oil), but the officials of Pakistan State Oil in Peshawar were forcing them to purchase it for the reasons best known to them.

They said that rest of oil companies were not doing so and only officials of PSO were bent upon teasing its dealers across NWFP.

They forced the dealers to purchase lubricants of at least Rs40,000.

“Those who purchase petrol or diesel can sell out the lubricant, but the kerosene dealers cannot sell the lubricants,” they said and added that they were selling it to people at cheaper rates which caused them heavy loss every month.

The dealers demanded of Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani, Federal Minister for Petroleum Shah Mehmood Qureshi and other high ups of the ministry to take notice of the misbehaviour of the officials of MD office and redress the dealers’ grievances.