RAWALPINDI: A strike by the Oil Tankers Association and reports of a petrol shortage prompted long queues at petrol stations on Tuesday.

Customers rushed to petrol stations on main roads to fill up their tanks before fuel ran out. Petrol stations in some areas, such as on Haider Road and Jhelum Road and in Pirwadhai were closed and people could be seen searching for fuel in the city.

The district administration has formed teams to monitor the situation and prevent shortages in the city. “Basically, people were buying extra in anticipation of a shortage. No such shortage was reported until night time, but the administration is monitoring the situation,” Commissioner Talat Mehmood Gondal told Dawn.

Shahzad Gul, the manager at a petrol station, told Dawn the supply of petrol had been halted for the last day, but there were chances it would be restored soon.

“People are buying extra, as more people came to the station to fill the tank, and it seems as if the stock of petrol will be finished by night time,” he said.

Mohammad Akram, a motorcyclist in Saddar, said he wanted to buy petrol in case of an emergency after reports in the media that the strike would continue for days.

When contacted, All Pakistan Oil Tanker Association Chairman Aslam Khan Niazi said the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority’s (Ogra) demands were not acceptable to oil tanker owners, as companies pay less for transport and they could not meet all safety measures.

He said talks between the government and the association were continuing, and fuel supply would be restored if they end on a positive note. “The minister and secretary are very positive, but Ogra is pushing to implement safety measures which are impossible for tanker owners,” he said.

Published in Dawn, July 26th, 2017