Petrol pump owners announce nationwide indefinite strike from July 23

ISLAMABAD: The All Pakistan Petroleum Pump Owners Association (APPO) has announced an indefinite nationwide strike from midnight on July 23 after talks with the government failed to resolve its concerns over daily petroleum pricing and dealers’ margins.

The decision followed a meeting convened by Federal Minister for Petroleum Ali Pervaiz Malik in Islamabad. The hour-long talks were attended by APPO Chairman Humayun Khan, Vice Chairman Nauman Ali Butt and provincial office-bearers but ended without an agreement.

In a message to its members, APPO directed petrol pump owners across the country to close their outlets from 12:00 am on July 23 and continue the shutdown until the government accepted its demands.

The association said discussions on increasing dealers’ margins and implementing daily fuel pricing had failed to produce a positive outcome. It urged members to remain united and ensure the protest remained peaceful.

Speaking after the meeting, Nauman Ali Butt said APPO had rejected the government’s decision to revise petroleum prices daily and demanded restoration of the previous weekly pricing system.

He also reiterated the association’s demand for higher dealers’ margins, arguing that the existing commission was insufficient to cover rising operating costs.

The government recently replaced weekly petroleum pricing with a daily mechanism intended to align domestic prices more closely with movements in international oil markets and the exchange rate.

Petrol pump owners argue that daily revisions expose retailers to inventory losses, complicate operations and increase financial uncertainty. They have demanded compensation for stock losses and an increase in margins before the system is fully implemented.

Oil marketing companies and refineries have broadly supported the reform, saying it would make prices more responsive to global market trends and reduce distortions caused by delayed adjustments.

The Oil Marketing Association of Pakistan has also supported the broader reform agenda but urged the government to address implementation issues. It warned that daily revisions could increase inventory losses, trigger panic buying before expected price increases and create operational difficulties without a compensation mechanism and other safeguards.

The Pakistan Petroleum Dealers Association has taken a different position from APPO and supported the revised pricing mechanism after receiving assurances from the government, reflecting divisions within the downstream petroleum sector.

The government has formed a committee comprising representatives of the Petroleum Division, the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority and the Oil Companies Advisory Council to address operational concerns.

However, Tuesday’s meeting failed to bridge differences with APPO, leaving petrol pumps facing a nationwide shutdown from July 23 unless the government revisits the association’s demands.