ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: All Pakistan Oil Tankers Owners Association (APOTA) on Wednesday announced to end its three-day long Countrywide strike following the successful negotiations with the federal government.
Sources said that during the talks held in Islamabad today, the government and the association reached a consensus to form a committee to resolve problems faced by the APOTA. Therefore, the later agreed to end its strike.
The APOTA went on to strike for an indefinite period on last Monday after an impasse erupted over safety regulations imposed by the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) following the Bahawalpur tragedy.
The association had warned that it would cease to supply Oil to Stations across the Country if its demands were not met.
Later, the federal government began the negotiations with the APOTA on Tuesday but it ended without yielding any result. However, the two sides held the next round of talks today.
Today’s talks proved successful as the government assured the APOTA that it would remove oil transporters’ concerns and eventually the association agreed to end its strike.
The three-day strike has already caused huge problems for the people across the Country as they failed to find Oil for their vehicles in Petrol Stations, many of those had been shut.
Sources said that even if the Oil supply resumes today throughout the Country, yet Petrol Stations will still continue to face Oil shortage for next 2 to 3 days.
Earlier, the Federal Minister for Railways Khawaja Saad Rafique contacted the Petroleum Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, and offered services of Pakistan Railways for the transportation of petrol.
Saad Rafique also directed the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Javed Anwar to contact Pakistan State Oil (PSO).
“We can start immediate supply of petrol through railway tracks. We will take most appropriate charges,” the railways minister said.
Separately, the Sui Southern also began providing Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) from today to Stations to facilitate public amid the ongoing petroleum crisis.
