- The country has sufficient stocks of gasoline and diesel, Ogra says.
- The spokesperson advises citizens not to pay attention to rumors.
- Said to take steps to discourage hoarding of petroleum products.
The Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) on Wednesday assured the public that the country has sufficient stocks of gasoline and diesel, saying there is no shortage of petroleum products.
The assurance came hours after the Pakistan Petrol Pump Owners Association (APPPOA) wrote a letter to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, seeking his intervention to avoid an artificial shortage of fuel in the country.
In the latter case, the APPPOA accused the oil marketing companies (OMCs) of imposing a quota on petroleum products in the context of the current Gulf crisis. “They [OMCs] Either we are not providing the product or we have limited it to such an extent that we are barely meeting the needs of the public or the gas stations are drying up,” they added.
In a statement, an Ogra spokesperson said: “The public is reassured that the country currently has sufficient stocks of petrol and diesel, well within the required limits.”
The spokesperson advised citizens not to pay attention to rumors and to rely only on information disseminated through official channels.
“To ensure uninterrupted availability of petroleum products and discourage hoarding during periods of extreme price volatility, OMCs may temporarily regulate supply to retail outlets based on their historical sales patterns,” the official added.
The Ogra spokesperson further said that this measure constitutes a standard supply management practice aimed at maintaining the stability of the distribution system.
Council of Ministers reviews energy supply situation
Earlier today, Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb, Minister of Finance and Revenue, emphasized that ensuring uninterrupted availability of petroleum products remained the top priority of the government and would continue to guide all policy decisions.
The minister chaired the meeting of the committee constituted by the Prime Minister to monitor oil prices in view of the emerging situation in the region.
The Finance Minister reiterated that the committee was monitoring developments daily and was ready to take timely and coordinated measures to safeguard national energy security and maintain the stability of domestic markets.
The committee continued its deliberations on the evolving regional and global energy situation and undertook a detailed review of oil inventory levels and supply chains across the country.
Participants were informed about national stock levels of crude oil and refined petroleum products, including gasoline, diesel, aviation fuels and LPG, as well as their respective days of coverage and daily consumption patterns.
