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A Pakistan petroleum dealers body has called a nationwide strike on November 25 to protest selling fuel at 'low-profit margins', according to local media.
The Pakistan Petroleum Dealers Association (PPDA) spokesperson confirmed that the strike will be held on November 25 and all the petrol pumps across the country will remain shut. This is the second strike call from the association in less than three weeks, reported The News International. "We have no way but to go on strike as the government has failed to meet the November 17 deadline for fulfilment of our demands," News International quoted the PPDA spokesperson as saying. The strike could be extended if the government continues to make fake promises, the spokesperson added. The PPDA had announced a strike on November 5, which they cancelled as the Pakistan government gave them assurance to increase margins on the sale of petroleum products by 6 per cent within a few days, reported The News International. Moreover, a committee under the chairmanship of petroleum secretary Dr Arshad Mahmood was to be established to guarantee the execution of agreement through approvals from the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) and the federal cabinet within ten days, reported The News International. Notably, the government did not take any further action to implement what it had promised and hence the consequent strike by PPDA. "The petrol dealers have been in a financial 'tatters' on the high cost of business and low margin of returns," PPDA Chairman Abdul Sami Khan stated at a news conference held at Karachi Press Club on November 3. He further said that the government guarantees only two per cent of margin on sales of fuel oil in the face of rising electricity tariffs, reported The News International. "We demand the government to cancel our petrol pumps licences. Nearly 50 per cent of the petrol pumps will close down permanently with licence cancellation as no one will reapply for acquisition," The News International quoted Khan as saying, "Immediate increase on ex-depot price in dealers' margin for HSD and MS without burdening common people and without increasing prices of petroleum products, absorbing dealers' margin increase by reducing Sales Tax and PDL," he further demanded. (ANI)
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