Petroleum minister assures police escort for ARL tankers amid supply disruption

ISLAMABAD: Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik has assured police escort for ARL tankers after traffic restrictions disrupted crude and fuel movement, forcing Attock Refinery Limited to reduce operations and shut its main unit.

The assurance came after Attock Refinery Limited (ARL) warned that continued traffic restrictions in Rawalpindi and Attock districts had severely affected the movement of crude oil and petroleum products, creating a serious supply disruption.

ARL Chief Executive Officer Adil Khattak said the refinery’s main crude distillation unit had already been shut down due to stranded tank lorries, while other units were operating at reduced capacity.

“Minister Petroleum has just informed that police escort would be provided to trucks coming to and from ARL starting 11 pm, so hopefully things would work out,” he said.

Earlier, ARL had warned of an imminent shutdown if the situation continued, stating that despite repeated contacts with relevant authorities, including civil and security institutions, no relief had been provided.

In its communication, the refinery said crude oil tankers from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the Potohar region were stuck at multiple points, while oil marketing company vehicles were unable to access the refinery for product lifting.

ARL said it had been in continuous coordination with the Petroleum Division, OGRA, district administration, and security agencies since April 19 to resolve the issue.

The company cautioned that prolonged disruption could affect fuel supply to power plants, defence installations, and aviation operations.