PESHAWAR, July 5: Petrol smuggling from Afghanistan to Pakistan is increasing day by day after the government revised upwardly fuel prices recently.
Sources in tribal areas told Dawn on Friday that about 700,000 litres of petrol was being smuggled daily from Afghanistan into tribal areas, and than transported to Punjab, which has caused Rs15 million loss to the national exchequer.
They said: “Afghanistan gets its petrol from Russia, Tajikistan, and Iran.”
They said that the price of one litre of patrol in Afghanistan is Rs12 and its transportation to tribal areas in Pakistan costs them Rs6 per litre. After adding Re1 profit it is sold to petrol dealers at Rs19 per litre.
Besides tankers, horses and camels are also being used for smuggling of petrol purchased from Jalalabad in Afghanistan and stored at Akakhel Meel War area of Khyber Agency.
Miranshah, the headquarters of North Waziristan tribal agency, receives its share of smuggled petrol from Khost province.
But there are many other routes, in other tribal agencies and Balochistan province, being used for smuggling of petrol.
Sources said that oil tankers, carrying smuggled petrol start their journey towards Punjab, from Miranshah, via Bannu, Dera Ismail Khan and Dera Ghazi Khan.
From Akakhel Mir War area of Khyber Agency, they use Badhber, Matani, Kohat route to enter Punjab through Khushalgarh bridge.
Another frequently used route from Khyber Agency is Badhber, Inqilab Road and G.T. Road and then to Attock, Rawalpindi, Lahore and Multan.
Owners of petrol pumps in Peshawar are able to get smuggled petrol for Rs22 per litre, Mardan and Charsadda Rs23, Rawalpindi Rs25, Gujranwala Rs26, Lahore and Multan for Rs27, and are selling it at the price fixed by the government.
The smuggling of petrol started in January 2001, when the price was at about Rs22 per litre and the margin of profit was very little.
From November 2001 to April 2002, the smuggling of petrol remained suspended due to US-led coalition’s operation in Afghanistan. But since April, smuggling of petrol from Afghanistan has been on the increase due to the rise in the price of petrol in Pakistan.
On the one hand, the prices of petroleum products in the international markets are on the decline, but on the other Petroleum Advisory Committee raises the petroleum products prices after every 15 days.
According to the sources, government purchases petrol at Rs13 per litre and sells it at more than Rs33 per litre, after adding various taxes, including custom and excise duty, GST, FDS, dealers commission, and distribution margin. The government earns Rs18 per litre.
The sale at Caltex, Pakistan State Oil, and Shell stations has decreased by about 20 per cent due to high price and the availability of smuggled petrol from Afghanistan, officials of these companies told Dawn.
Sources said that in Afghanistan the price of one litre high-speed diesel is Rs13.40 but in Pakistan it is Rs19.50 per litre. If the government increased the price of high-speed diesel, its smuggling too would start.