KARACHI: Pakistan’s petrol pump owners have rejected the federal government’s proposed petroleum price deregulation policy, warning that the plan could disrupt fuel distribution and pricing across the country.

Nauman Ali Butt, chairman of the All Pakistan Petrol Pump Owners Association, said that the association does not support the government’s proposed deregulation policy and urged authorities to reconsider the plan.

Butt said nearly 15,000 petrol pump owners nationwide have serious reservations about the proposal. He called on the government and oil marketing companies (OMCs) to consult all stakeholders before implementing any new pricing mechanism.

He warned that introducing daily fuel price adjustments could affect oil tanker operations, transportation logistics and the overall fuel pricing system, adding that petrol pump owners should not be forced to bear the burden of policy changes.

The association’s reaction came after Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik announced that the federal cabinet had approved a move toward daily petroleum price determination by the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) as part of a broader fuel market deregulation strategy.

 The minister said OGRA would set prices each day based on international market trends, adding that current petroleum and carbon support levies remain lower than previous levels.