Islamabad — Pakistan may face a major fuel supply crisis, with petroleum dealers warning that nearly 70 percent of petrol pumps across the country could run out of fuel by Monday if immediate action is not taken.
The warning comes as growing tensions in the Middle East begin to affect fuel supply chains, prompting long queues of vehicles at petrol stations in the port city of Karachi and other areas of Pakistan. Several pumps have already temporarily closed due to shortages.
According to reports citing local dealers, the government has repeatedly assured the public that there is no shortage of petrol or diesel in the country. However, panic buying increased sharply on the night before the announcement of new fuel prices, as motorists rushed to refill their tanks.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Petroleum Dealers and Cottage Contractors Association information secretary Najibullah said oil marketing companies have stopped supplying petrol and diesel to dealers, allegedly citing rising global crude oil prices. As a result, several petrol stations have already run out of fuel.
“If the situation continues, nearly 70 percent of petrol pumps in the country may exhaust their stock by Monday,” he warned, urging immediate intervention from the prime minister, the petroleum secretary and the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority.
Meanwhile, the association’s provincial president Gul Nawaz Khan said the crisis could worsen by the end of the month and may lead to a complete depletion of fuel supplies at petrol stations by April.
He criticized government measures against pump owners, arguing that dealers cannot be blamed for hoarding fuel when oil companies themselves are not supplying it. Khan warned that without urgent steps to ensure fuel distribution, Pakistan’s transport system and daily economic activities could be severely disrupted.
