By Zahiruddin
CHITRAL: The owners of petrol pumps have demanded of the federal minister of petroleum to accept the demands of the carriage contractors of Pakistan State Oil (PSO) to end their strike which is continuing for the last ten days as a result of which diesel and petrol are running out in Chitral.
Addressing a press conference here on Monday, the president of Petrol Pump Owners Association, Liaquat Ali, Secretary general Munir Ahmed and treasurer Qazi Zahir Muhammad said that in the absence of replenishment due to the strike of contractors, the stock has almost finished with them throughout the district.
Supporting the demand of the carriage contractors, they said that the rate of carriage of petroleum has not been revised since the last ten years due to which there should be a substantial rise in case of Chitral, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir which are remote and hard stations.
They urged upon the federal ministry of petroleum and management of PSO to make the talks with carriage contractors representatives scheduled to be held on 27 December decisive and result oriented leading to end their strike.
The petrol pump owners in Chitral also demanded of the provincial government to provide them with security as their safety was jeopardized by the people who are enraged due to the acute shortage of petrol and diesel.
They said that the daily consumption of petrol and diesel in the district is about 150 thousand litres and the situation will turn to the worst leading to virtually wheel jam strike if the contractors did not end their strike and the supply is not resumed from Rawalpindi.
