Fuel shortage results in 'closure' of petrol pumps in Pakistan

Amid severe fuel shortage due to the poor economy, several petrol pumps in major and small cities of Punjab have been closed, Dawn reported. The situation appears to be worst in certain large towns, such as Lahore, Gujranwala, and Faisalabad, where numerous petrol pumps have reportedly been running on a poor or nonexistent supply of petrol for many days as a result of pressure from the oil marketing companies (OMCs).

"In Lahore, around 70 of the total 450 pumps are dry. The areas where the pumps are closed due to shortage of petrol include Shahdra, Wagah, Litton Road and Jain Mandar," Pakistan Petroleum Dealers Association's secretary of information Khawaja Atif told Dawn. According to local media, petrol is severely in limited supply in several cities of Pakistan. The majority of the gas stations are shut. Few are open, and those that only offer a little quantity of gasoline. At these gas stations, there are long lines of cars and bikes.

Talking about other cities, he said in Gujranwala around 70 per cent of pumps had no petrol due to short supplies from the OMCs. Moreover, many pumps are also without petrol for several days in Faisalabad, Okara, Sahiwal and other districts reported Dawn. Notably, the oil companies of Pakistan are on the verge of 'collapse' due to a reeling economic crisis and devaluation of the currency. Pakistan is experiencing a balance of payments problem, and the falling value of the rupee is raising the cost of imported commodities.

Pakistan is currently at the beginning of the worst economic crisis since the country's formation in 1947, Geo-politik reported.