On Monday, the Pakistan Petroleum Dealers Association (PPDA) rejected a call for a nationwide strike on July 5 by some Karachi-based oil retailers.

Some so-called leaders have unilaterally issued the call under the pretext of additional tax on dealers, which is baseless and deceitful, PPDA leaders said.

How can dealers go on strike when no new tax has been imposed on them in the recent budget? Hassan Shah, spokesman for PPDA,

He added that the budget has slapped advance income tax on Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs); therefore, they should fight their own battle and stop using dealers for their interests. 

He said that all petroleum dealers across the country have condemned the meaningless call of a nationwide strike on July 5.

Hassan Shah said that compromised leaders have reaped enough benefits by compromising on the interests of petroleum dealers, and now no one can use us to forward their interests.

We will not blackmail the government by becoming hired thugs. Still, he observed that we would go to any extent to resolve our legitimate issues.

According to Hasan Shah, even after the imposition of this tax, oil marketing companies are supplying fuel at the old rates, as evidenced by the invoices.

These companies have persuaded some dealer leaders to protest because those companies are not able to protest on their own. OMCs should strive to resolve their issues on their own and avoid trying to use petroleum dealers, he underlined.

PPDA leaders, including Khawaja Atif Ahmed from Lahore, Numan Butt from Rawalpindi, Humayun Khan from Khanewal, Zaheer Ahmed Paracha from Layyah, Zaheer Ahmed Paracha, Wasim Butt and Haji Abdul Karim from Karachi, Haji Sawab Gul and Amjad Shinwari from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Nadeem Aziz Khan from Gujranwala said that now the dealers will not be used for anyone and they will make their own decisions.