Petroleum dealers announce nationwide shutdown of petrol pumps from Aug 15, demanding 8 % profit margin.

Petroleum dealers in Pakistan announced a shutdown of all petrol pumps nationwide starting Aug 15, for an indefinite period, after a 72‑hour ultimatum to the government was not accepted. The Pakistan Petroleum Dealers Association declared that it would not be able to continue operating pumps if an 8 % margin on petrol were not granted. The association’s chairman said 14,000 members were under pressure and that the government had previously been given two weeks to address their demands. The closure comes after a wheel‑jam strike by goods transporters and a failed negotiation between the government and the All Pakistan Goods Transport Alliance. Alliance President Malik Shehzad Awan said a deadlock persists and no concrete progress has been made on the transporters’ demands. Earlier, on July 22, the All Pakistan Petrol Pump Owners Association postponed a planned nationwide shutdown for two weeks following meetings with Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik, who assured dealers that their concerns would be addressed. The association also urged a review of the fuel‑pricing mechanism and sent a letter on Aug 7 calling for changes to the policy that determines daily fuel prices. The dealers withdrew a strike 15 days earlier on "ethical grounds" because they believed the government was serious. They now warn that the pumps will remain closed until their demands are met.