RAWALPINDI: All Pakistan Oil Tankers Association called off its strike after the district administration and cantonment authorities agreed to increase their fuel supply timings.

The tankers will be allowed to enter the city for refilling and supplying fuel to filling stations from 7pm to 7am.

The district administration also asked the oil marketing companies (OMCs) to develop parking areas in Rawat so the oil tankers are not parked on the main roads.

The decision was announced after a series of meetings between officials of the district administration, station headquarters and the representatives of the tanker association.

Additional Deputy Commissioner General Zaheer Anwar Jappa presided over the meeting while the tanker association was represented by Raja Saeed Janjua, Noman Butt and others.

After the meeting, Mr Butt announced to call off the strike and said the district administration and cantonment authorities had accepted their demands.

He said routine supply had been restored to the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad and northern parts of the country. He said the oil tankers will work from 7pm to to 7am in the city areas and will enter the cantonment limits after 10pm till the morning.

He said the no-objection certificate (NOC) for oil tankers to supply fuel in cantonment areas will be issued for six months instead of two months.

The additional deputy commissioner told Dawn that the negotiations with the tanker association remained successful. “We increased the timings for the supply operation of oil tankers and asked the OMCs to develop parking areas outside the city so the tankers will not be parked on main roads.”

He said the association accepted the demand of the administration to ensure safety of the tankers and follow the standard operating procedures issued by the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra).

After the announcement to call off the strike, the oil tankers started the supply in Rawalpindi and Islamabad and to northern parts of the country in the evening. Due to a daylong strike, there were chances of fuel shortage in the twin cities.

Published in Dawn, December 18th, 2020