The Oil Tanker Contractors Association (OTCA) has threatened to halt operations and launch protests following a sharp increase in petroleum prices, warning of possible supply disruptions in parts of the country.
Abdullah Afridi, President of OTCA, said the association would stage protests against oil marketing companies (OMCs) and demanded an increase in freight rates, stating that tanker operators cannot sustain operations under the current cost structure.
He warned that fuel supply could be affected in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, and other areas, adding that continued operations under existing rates could result in financial losses.
Afridi also criticized oil marketing companies and authorities, saying efforts to engage with officials over the past week had not yielded any progress. He said Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik had been contacted multiple times and formal requests for negotiations had been submitted.
He added that changes in pipeline quota were also impacting tanker owners and maintained that operations would not resume until freight rates are revised. The OTCA warned of a nationwide strike and urged tanker owners to keep their vehicles off the roads and participate in protests if their demands are not met.
