ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday instructed provincial administrations to take immediate action against petrol pumps involved in fuel hoarding by sealing their premises, cancelling their licences, and initiating legal proceedings against those responsible for creating artificial shortages of petroleum products.
The directive was issued during a high-level meeting chaired by the prime minister to review the availability of petroleum products in the country. Officials from the Ministry of Petroleum briefed the meeting on the current fuel situation, stating that Pakistan has adequate petroleum reserves to meet domestic demand despite the evolving regional circumstances.
The prime minister directed Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik to visit different provinces and coordinate with provincial governments to formulate a comprehensive strategy aimed at conserving petroleum products and maintaining a steady fuel supply for the public.
He also instructed authorities to develop a digital monitoring dashboard to track the movement and supply of petroleum products across the country. The system will provide real-time data to provincial governments, enabling them to monitor transportation and distribution effectively.
The meeting was attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, federal ministers Jam Kamal Khan, Ahad Khan Cheema, Muhammad Aurangzeb, Attaullah Tarar, Awais Khan Leghari, Minister of State Bilal Azhar Kayani, Special Assistant Haroon Akhtar, State Bank Governor Jameel Ahmad, as well as chief secretaries from all four provinces, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan, along with other senior government officials.
