KARACHI: While expressing his displeasure at the 72-hour strike ultimatum, Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik has said that the government will continue the daily price-fixing mechanism for petroleum products, rejecting dealers’ demand for a monthly practice.

A delegation of petroleum dealers, led by the Pakistan Petroleum Dealers Association (PPDA) Chairman Malik Khuda Bakhsh, held brief talks with the petroleum minister in Islamabad on Wednesday. Mr Pervaiz remained with the delegation for only 20 minutes because the prime minister had summoned him.

Later, the meeting with the senior officials of the government-related departments and ministries lasted five hours without reaching any conclusion.

Mr Bukhsh stated that the delegation asked the minister to fulfil his promise that their demands would be approved within 15 days. However, Mr Pervaiz replied that he could not do so, as the prime minister has the authority to make such decisions.

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However, the minister had assured the delegation that the Rs1.34 per litre increase in dealers’ margin, which had been pending for two years, had already been sent to the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) and was awaiting approval from the Federal Cabinet.

However, the dealers had been demanding an 8 per cent increase in their margins. Currently, the dealers’ margins are Rs8.64 per litre, which, after various expenditures, are further reduced to Rs2.20 per litre, Mr Bukhsh claimed.

He said the association will hold a 30-member meeting of its Executive Committee in Karachi on Friday to review Wednesday’s negotiations with the government and announce a final decision on the planned shutdown of pumps from Aug 15.

Published in Dawn, August 14th, 2026