Dr Musadik says state’s writ will be maintained and that those who challenge it will face dire consequences
Minister of State for Petroleum Dr. Musadik Malik declared on Wednesday that the country has a sufficient supply of fuel and warned against hoarding petrol and diesel stocks.
He reassured the public that the government is fully committed to ensuring a sufficient supply of fuel and warned against those who are hoarding the stocks. He emphasized that the state’s writ will be maintained and that those who challenge it will face dire consequences.
He addressed the press conference in Islamabad, announcing his stance against those who are responsible for the recent shortage of fuel in several cities of Punjab.
The minister believes that a few individuals are behind the artificial shortage and are intending to sell fuel at exorbitant prices in the future.
He stressed that the government will take strict action against these hoarders, including canceling their licenses, and affirmed their commitment to preserving the state’s writ.
Dr. Malik stated that the country has a 20-day supply of petrol and a 29-day supply of diesel, excluding the cargoes that are still on their way. He added that the government has revised the prices of petroleum products according to the schedule, international market, and rupee-dollar parity, and there are no plans to raise prices at present.
In response to a question, the minister expressed his hope that an agreement with Russia would soon be finalized, after which low-cost crude oil would be available in Pakistan.
Meanwhile, the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) also wrote a letter to the chief secretary of Punjab, asking him to take immediate action against those who are illegally hoarding fuel stocks.
The letter contained information about 19 locations in Punjab that were identified by the authority as contributing to the shortage of fuel in the province. The letter emphasized the need to prevent inconvenience for the public and requested the chief secretary to act against the culprits.
