ISLAMABAD:
The oil business has sounded the alarm over a looming gas scarcity in Lahore because of restrictions on the motion of oil tankers. The Oil Corporations Advisory Council (OCAC), representing refineries, oil advertising corporations (OMCs), and a pipeline agency, expressed considerations over the Visitors Police’s ban on heavy autos from 6:00 AM to 11:00 PM, which has additionally impacted petroleum oil and lubricant (POL) tankers.
This restriction has severely disrupted gas deliveries to over 400 petrol pumps in Lahore, a metropolis with a inhabitants exceeding 5 million. The OCAC famous that Karachi, which enforces an identical ban, exempts POL tankers, permitting an uninterrupted gas provide.
In a proper attraction to the Punjab chief secretary, the OCAC referred to as for an pressing exemption for POL tankers in Lahore to stop a full-blown gas disaster and guarantee public comfort. The council urged the provincial authorities to right away evaluation its advisory and shield the town’s gas provide chain.
In November 2024, Lahore confronted an identical scenario when ongoing protests by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) led to important street blockages, inflicting a extreme disruption within the provide of petroleum merchandise throughout Punjab, together with Lahore and the dual cities.
Khawaja Aatif, Secretary of the Petroleum Sellers Affiliation, had highlighted that Lahore’s each day petrol consumption exceeds 5 million litres, and the overall each day consumption in Punjab is near 50 million litres.
In response to the disaster, the Ministry of Petroleum had despatched a letter to the Chief Secretary of Punjab, requesting rapid motion to handle the scarcity.
The letter particularly referred to as for the restoration of crude oil provide from the Attock Oil Refinery to make sure an uninterrupted gas provide all through the province.