KARACHI: Despite government assurances that there was no shortage of petrol and diesel in the country, many fuel stations across Karachi have been closed while long queues have been witnessed at others ahead of the midnight when new petroleum prices come into effect.

While regional tensions caused panic buying by citizens, many fuel station owners in the city either chose to shut down their facilities or ration fuel during the day in anticipation of an imminent hefty increase in the prices of petroleum products by the government.

By 11:30pm, a large number of vehicles queued up at the fuel stations in Saddar and Sharea Faisal, causing disruption in flow of vehicular traffic.

Long queues of vehicles witnessed at a few petrol pumps still open; situation likely to ‘stabilise’ today after govt announces massive hike in petroleum prices

However, as the government announced a massive increase in prices of petrol and diesel the situation is expected to ease on Saturday (today) when new prices of petroleum products come into effect.

Petroleum dealers, station operators and other stakeholders have cited the closure of the Straits of Hormuz — a major source of oil and gas supply from Iran — in the wake of coordinated US-Israel strikes on Tehran, reduction of fuel supply allegedly by oil marketing firms and greed as main factors behind anxiety regarding fuel shortage in the city.

Pakistan Petroleum Dealers Association (PPDA) Chairman Abdul Sami Khan told Dawn on Friday that fuel stations were facing shortage of supply.

He claimed that supply to petrol pumps had allegedly been reduced by oil companies by up to 50 per cent, leading them to apprehend that fuel stations might run dry.

He said that for the last three days, petroleum dealers had been urging authorities to address this issue, but officials insisted that there was a better stock of fuel.

Mr Khan said if there was a sufficient stock available in the country, then supply to the stations should be enhanced.

He said, apart from the alleged short supply of fuel to the stations, their other problem was the sudden manifold increase in international oil prices. He apprehended that fuel prices might increase to the extent that it would become difficult for people to purchase it.

The PPDA chief opined that the situation would be cleared by Saturday evening.

The owner of a fuel station in the metropolis told Dawn on the condition of anonymity that there was no shortage of fuel supply, but petrol station owners were allegedly dispensing less fuel to customers as they expected significant profits in anticipation of a sudden increase in fuel prices due to the ongoing war in the Middle East and the closure of Hormuz.

Currently, several petrol pumps were giving maximum three-four litres fuel to cars and one litre to motorbike as they wanted to maintain stock and to increase profit in case of upward revision of prices by the government.

Published in Dawn, March 7th, 2026