Business Desk 
Nov 26, 2024
Owing to the roads blocked as a preventive measure by the government to impede political protests, several areas of Rawalpindi and Islamabad reportedly ran out of fuel on Monday.
Petroleum Dealers Association president Nadeem Khan said petrol pumps were closing down due to fuel stock depletion, cautioning that the fuel shortage is likely to aggravate if the government does not open roads.
While facing a movement-restricting situation and being compelled to suffer for over two days, the Punjab region's citizens made an appeal to the government to ease their everyday lives.
Responding to set aside the general public's woes, the petroleum division of the energy ministry has ordered the district administration in Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) and Rawalpindi and Lahore divisions to swiftly resume petroleum products supply in the region.
Issued to the commissioners of ICT and Lahore and Rawalpindi divisions in light of a lockdown situation in various parts of Punjab, the directives state that access to Lahore, Islamabad and Rawalpindi was restricted, potentially affecting the movement of tank lorries carrying crude oil to Attock Refinery Limited (ARL) and POL [petrol, oil, lubricant] products.
With the Oil & Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) actively engaged with the district administration, the ministry concerned directed commissioners to issue appropriate guidelines to people concerned in the district administration to strategise on an extensive plan to do away with the situation and for continued supply of crude oil to ARL and POL products in the cities affected.
Prior to the ministry taking action in this regard, the Petroleum Division (PD) and the Oil Companies Advisory Council (OCAC) had urged the Punjab administration and law-enforcement agencies to allow the oil tanker lorries to safely penetrate the territories of Punjab to avoid any fuel shortage.
