ISLAMABAD – Petroleum dealers announced indefinite nationwide strike, protesting the government’s new daily fuel pricing formula, saying the revised system has made their businesses financially unsustainable and have vowed to keep fuel stations closed until their demands are met.
The country of around 250 million could face nationwide fuel supply disruption after dealers announced indefinite strike beginning at 12:00am, following the failure of high-level negotiations with Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik.
All Pakistan Petroleum Dealers Association (APPDA) declared that petrol pumps across the country would remain closed until the government accepts its demands, raising concerns over fuel availability if the deadlock continues. Announcing the decision in a video message, APPDA Chairman Humayun Khan said petrol pump owners had reached a breaking point, arguing that the current commission structure had made it impossible to keep their businesses afloat.
ال پاکستان پٹرولیم ڈیلرز ایسوسییشن اور وزیر پیٹرولیم علی پرویز ملک کے درمیان مذاکرات ناکام،
پیٹرولیم ڈیلرز ایسوسی ایشن کے عہدیدار ہمایوں خان نے اپنے ویڈیو پیغام میں کل رات سے ملک بھر میں پیٹرول پمپ بند کرنے کا اعلان کردیا ہے،کل رات 12 بجے سے ملک گیر ہڑتال ہوگا۔ pic.twitter.com/9fDl4urPwK— Umaid Ali (@UmaidAliHajana) July 21, 2026
“Our business can no longer survive,” Khan said. “After paying operational expenses, nothing is left. We receive only Rs8 per litre in commission and have been absorbing losses for months. We cannot continue operating under these conditions. If the issue is not resolved, petrol pumps will begin shutting down permanently within the next two months.”
He accused the government of concealing the true impact of fuel price increases by introducing small daily revisions instead of larger periodic hikes. He alleged that while consumers are being shielded from the political fallout of sudden price jumps, petroleum dealers are being pushed deeper into financial distress.
The standoff comes at a critical time as Pakistan rolls out one of the country’s biggest petroleum sector reforms. The federal government has replaced the previous fuel pricing mechanism with a system allowing daily revisions in petroleum prices, saying the move will enable quicker responses to international oil market fluctuations following renewed geopolitical tensions between the United States and Iran.
As part of the overhaul, the authority to determine daily ex-depot petroleum prices has been transferred to the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA), a step the government says is aimed at deregulating the downstream oil sector and improving transparency.
However, petroleum dealers argue that the new pricing framework has failed to address their shrinking margins and rising operating costs. With negotiations now at a standstill and an indefinite nationwide strike set to begin, motorists could face widespread disruption if the impasse is not resolved quickly.
The government has yet to announce any fresh breakthrough in talks, leaving millions of commuters, transporters and businesses anxiously awaiting developments as the midnight deadline approaches.
