Pakistan Petrol Dealers Reject Prime Minister's Fuel Relief Scheme

The Pakistan Petroleum Dealers Association and the Petrol Pump Owners Association have refused to implement the Prime Minister's petrol relief scheme. During a press conference in Karachi, association leaders argued that the government launched the subsidy program without consulting dealers or providing a clear mechanism for reimbursement.

Dealers cited existing financial pressures from inflation and billions of rupees in outstanding payments from oil marketing companies as primary reasons for their resistance. While the associations acknowledged that the subsidy is a positive goal for the public, they demanded an increase in margins and a formal government guarantee of payment before they will sell fuel under the current mechanism.

Association officials claimed the relief scheme was imposed on petrol pumps without prior information. They questioned how the government intended to pay dealers for the cheaper petrol and insisted that the state must ensure payment to dealers to make the scheme viable.