No Petrol Shortage in Pakistan: Govt

The federal government has assured that Pakistan has sufficient stocks of petroleum products to meet domestic demand, despite a sharp increase in fuel consumption during the first half of July.

The assurance came during a meeting of the National Coordination and Management Council (NCMC), chaired by Federal Minister for Petroleum Ali Pervaiz Malik, to review the availability of petroleum products across the country.

Representatives from the Oil Companies Advisory Council (OCAC), Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA), Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) Customs Wing, and other relevant institutions attended the meeting.

Officials informed the council that the country currently has adequate petroleum reserves and that existing stocks are sufficient to meet consumer demand.

The meeting noted that an unusually sharp increase in the sale of petroleum products during the first 15 days of July had raised concerns regarding fuel supplies. However, representatives of the Oil Companies Advisory Council reviewed the situation and assured the meeting that supply-related concerns had been addressed.

According to OGRA’s analysis, the recent surge in demand may have been driven by concerns over a possible increase in petroleum prices, raising the risk of hoarding.

The NCMC directed OGRA to ensure strict enforcement against hoarding and instructed provincial governments to take effective measures to prevent stockpiling while ensuring the uninterrupted availability of petroleum products to consumers.

The council also directed all relevant departments and stakeholders to maintain a continuous and uninterrupted supply of petroleum products across the country.