ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday directed provincial governments to take strict legal action against those involved in hoarding petroleum products and creating artificial shortages in the country.
Chairing a high-level meeting on petroleum supplies in Islamabad, the prime minister was briefed by the Ministry of Petroleum on the country’s fuel reserves in the context of the evolving regional situation.
Officials informed the meeting that Pakistan currently has adequate stocks of petroleum products to meet domestic requirements.
The prime minister, however, warned against profiteering and instructed provincial authorities to act firmly against hoarders. He said any petrol pump found involved in creating artificial shortages should be immediately sealed, its licence cancelled, and legal action initiated.
Sharif also directed the federal petroleum minister to visit provinces and coordinate with provincial governments to develop a comprehensive plan to ensure the conservation of petroleum products and their uninterrupted supply to the public.
The prime minister further ordered the establishment of a digital dashboard to monitor the movement of petroleum products, enabling real-time data sharing with provinces to ensure effective oversight of fuel transportation and distribution.
The meeting was attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, federal ministers Jam Kamal Khan, Ahsan Iqbal Cheema, Muhammad Aurangzeb, Attaullah Tarar, Ali Pervaiz Malik, Owais Leghari, Minister of State Bilal Azhar Kayani, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Haroon Akhtar Khan, and State Bank Governor Jameel Ahmad.
Chief secretaries from all four provinces, as well as Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, also attended the meeting along with senior government officials.
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