Islamabad, August 11, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Petroleum dealers in Pakistan have announced a nationwide shutdown of petrol pumps from August 15, warning that the strike will continue until the government accepts their demands, according to local media reports.
Pakistan Petroleum Dealers Association Chairman Malik Khuda Baksh announced the decision at a press conference on Tuesday, saying it was taken at a meeting of petroleum dealers.
The association has issued the government a 72-hour ultimatum, with Khuda Baksh saying dealers would be unable to continue operating their outlets unless their demands are addressed.
A key demand is an increase in the dealers’ margin on petrol to 8 per cent. Khuda Baksh said pressure from the association’s 14,000 members had intensified after the government failed to meet their demands within the period previously given to it.
He said dealers had allowed the government two weeks to resolve the matter, but the deadline had expired. The association will therefore keep petrol pumps closed until its demands are accepted.
The latest announcement follows an earlier decision by the All Pakistan Petrol Pump Owners Association (APPPOA) to postpone a planned shutdown for two weeks. On July 22, the association deferred the closure after Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik assured dealers that their concerns would be addressed.
The dealers had also asked the Petroleum Ministry to review the mechanism for determining fuel prices, particularly amid fluctuations in international oil markets.
On July 17, Malik and Information Minister Atta Tarar announced that Pakistan would shift to daily fuel-price revisions in response to volatility in global crude prices following renewed hostilities in West Asia.
Under the revised mechanism, the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) would determine fuel prices based on international market trends and publish the revised rates on its website. Since early March, fuel prices had been revised weekly.
The proposed petrol pump shutdown could affect fuel supplies across Pakistan if the dispute remains unresolved before August 15.
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