KARACHI, Aug 23: The strike called by the All Pakistan Oil Tankers Owners Association against Pakistan State Oil Company Limited continued on third consecutive day on Saturday, amid claims of disruption in fuel supplies by the APOTOA.

However, the PSO spokesman said that supply of petroleum products continued smoothly.

The vice-president of APOTOA, Haji Faiz Mohammad, told Dawn that PSO had called the contractors and convincing them to carry out the transportation of fuel supplies.

“The DIG is calling us for a meeting with the authorities concerned, but on the other side PSO is working against us by hiring contractors,” Mr Faiz said and added that in these circumstance there could be no talks.

He claimed that strike had hurt the fuel supplies and PSO was facing difficulty in continuing with normal supplies.

Meanwhile, there was heavy deployment of police at the Keamari oil terminal while anticipating a law and order situation there.

The PSO spokesman said that on Friday, the second day of the strike called by the tankers association, a large number of contractors had refilled their tank lorries as per normal routine.

“The PSO filled and dispatched 350 tank lorries from their terminal at Keamari,” the spokesman said. Only one small group that had vested interests had abstained, he added.

“They are putting pressure on other contractors to join them in protest and stop normal activity of transporting the petroleum product,” he said.

The PSO spokesman said that the strike was called without any prior notice. Moreover, no issue was brought to the company’s knowledge before the call was given. The call, therefore was unjustified and illegal, the spokesman claimed.

The PSO was continuing with normal supplies throughout the country and stocks at the depots were adequately maintained, he said adding that the filling of priority system had also resumed.