QUETTA, Nov 3: The Balochistan petrol pump owners have threatened to stop petrol supply by Nov 12, if the sale smuggled Iranian petrol was not stopped.

The President, All Balochistan Petroleum Dealers Association, Mohammad Ali Kurd hurled this threat while speaking at a news conference here on Sunday.

He said that the petroleum dealers were facing huge losses due to illegal business of Iranian petrol in Balochistan.

He said that they would observe strike for an indefinite period and during this period they would not allow the petroleum companies to continue their business.

He said that oil depots of all the three companies would also remain closed during the strike.

Kurd criticized the government for increasing the prices of petrol and diesel after every two weeks, and said that this has affected the genuine petroleum dealers very much.

He said that the people prefer to purchase Iranian petrol, as it was being sold at half the price of regular petrol.

He demanded that government should reduce the oil prices in the country and bring it at the 1997 prices.

He also urged upon the oil companies to restore suspended licenses of petroleum dealers.