ISLAMABAD (Kashmir English): The Pakistan Petroleum Dealers Association (PPDA) on Friday postponed its nationwide strike planned for Saturday, August 15, following assurances from the Petroleum Ministry regarding an increase in the profit margin for petroleum dealers.
During a press conference in Karachi, PPDA Chairman Malik Khuda Baksh said the government has accepted the association’s demand and assured an increase of Rs 1.34 per litre in the dealers’ margin, bringing the total margin to Rs 10 per litre.
Khuda Baksh added that the petroleum minister had spoken to him by telephone for half an hour and assured him that the dealers’ profit margin would be increased.
Following the government’s assurance, the Petroleum Dealers Association announced the postponement of the strike scheduled for August 15. The association said petrol pumps across the country will remain open on Saturday.
Earlier, the PPDA issued a 72-hour ultimatum to the government over its failure to fulfil promises made by the petroleum minister to resolve their issues, especially the increase in margin to eight per cent on the retail sale price of petrol.
The association had warned that if the government failed to meet its demands within 72 hours, petrol pumps across the country would shut down indefinitely from 6am on Saturday (August 15) and would not reopen until those demands were met.
