KARACHI, Aug 22: The All Pakistan Oil Tankers Owners Association went out on strike on Friday against what they termed as the wrong policy of the Pakistan State Oil about the oil distribution method.

However, a PSO spokesman said the strike was only ‘partial’.

The APOTOA president, Yousuf Shawani, told Dawn that there was no dialogue going on with the PSO.

The PSO spokesman said there was shortage of oil in the country because the oil company had made alternative arrangements to send the oil upcountry.

He said alternative arrangements had been made by utilizing the fleets of the National Logistic Cell, the PSO and a group of those private oil tankers who did not associate themselves with the APOTOA.

The spokesman said that the filling of tankers would continue during the night as well.

An APOTOA spokesman told a press conference earlier in the day that its strike would continue unless their demands were met by the PSO, adds APP.

He said the PSO had lodged an FIR against some tanker owners on false charges of oil theft.