Pakistan’s oil traders are angry with the government because it broke its commitment to boost their profits. The government agreed in writing to provide them with extra money in exchange for their services, but it hasn’t happened yet.
The Pakistan Petroleum Dealers Association’s president, Abdul Sami Khan, is upset that the government missed the deadline of September 1. He claimed that operating their gas stations at the existing profit margin is challenging because expenses are rising.
He issued a warning that if the government does nothing about this problem, they could have to shut down their stations. These dealers had intended to shut down their locations as a show of protest back in July, but they changed their minds after hearing guarantees from Musadik Malik, the State Minister for Petroleum at the time.
Since the issue hasn’t been resolved, they are now considering shutting down once more. Initially, they desired a 5% profit margin, which at the current price of petrol would be equivalent to Rs. 12 per liter.
