KARACHI, Aug 31: While those consumers who had filled their fuel tanks in anticipation of the strike called by petroleum dealers had a smooth run on Friday, others faced great difficulties as the majority of petrol pumps remained closed in line with the call.

On Friday, except for a few pumps owned by the oil marketing companies (OMCs), all the pumps affiliated with the Pakistan Petroleum Dealers’ Association (PPDA) remained closed to lodge their protest against a decrease in their commissions.

However, at the pumps owned by the OMCs consumers were seen making a beeline to get their fuel tanks filled at any cost.

On Thursday night CNG stations witnessed a huge rush as buyers made long queues and waited on average for almost a half hour for their turn due to the fear that those petrol pumps, which also have CNG facilities, would remain closed on Friday.

There were also reports that petrol was sold at Rs100 per litre instead of Rs54 per litre, especially to motorcyclists, from the pumps that did remain open.

Though the PPDA seemed indifferent to the government’s repeated attempts for calling off the strike and for dialogue to resolve the crisis, at the time this report was filed (11pm) credible sources confirmed that the strike had been “postponed”.

Public transport operators had filled their fuel tanks to capacity by Thursday and after consumption of diesel on Friday, they had no extra diesel to ply transport on Saturday. These operators do not maintain any storage facility and fill up their tanks on a daily basis ranging from 90-100 litres a day.

A large number of people use public transport on a daily basis and it is estimated that 1,000 passengers move daily on each large bus, followed by around 800 passengers daily per minibus and coach.

Traders expressed the fear that a shortage of commodities might occur in case goods and cargo-carrying vehicles had to suspend their operations for want of diesel on Saturday.

President of the Karachi Transport Ittehad Syed Irshad Hussain Bukhari said if that if the strike continues it will land commuters in deep trouble. The government, he said, should consider the grievances of the petroleum dealers and resolve the issue in the larger interest of general consumers.

Chairman of the Site Association of Industry Imran Shaukat urged the PPDA to hold dialogue with the government as the strike would have an adverse impact on the national economy, paralysing the supply of industrial goods besides suspending the supply of food as well as life saving drugs.