Due to disagreements among petroleum dealers on the demand for a strike against the 0.5% turnover tax included in the federal budget for 2024–2025, gas pumps nationwide observed a partial walkout on Friday.
Petrol pumps would stay closed on Friday, according to information provided to The News by Abdul Sami Khan, Chairman of the Pakistan Petroleum Dealers Association (PPDA), a day earlier.
However, some of the association’s upbeat leaders declared that they would not be supporting the walkout, preferring to have more negotiations with the government before going on an indefinite one.
Noman Ali Butt, the secretary general of the PPDA, denied the report of a nationwide strike, stating that the nation’s supply of petroleum products will not change.
Only a small portion of the dealers’ association called for a strike; the association did not declare a strike. He said, “We are in the process of having talks with the administration, and they have promised to take care of our complaints.
Conversely, Hasan Shah, the PPDA spokesperson, informed the fuel traders, saying, “We have also protested in the past.” Additionally, we have shut the Faizabad Interchange and D-Chowk.
“We have staged protests in front of the Senate and National Assembly. Strikes need to be the final choice, and talks are still the wisest course of action.”
While many gas stations in Karachi remained closed on Friday morning, several continued to operate as usual, especially those along University Road and Sharea Faisal.
