ISLAMABAD: Shehbaz Sharif on Friday directed authorities to develop a digital dashboard to monitor the movement of petroleum products across the country and share real-time data with provinces, as the government reviewed the fuel supply situation amid rising tensions in the Middle East.
The prime minister issued the instructions during a high-level meeting in Islamabad that examined the supply and storage of petroleum products following disruptions in global supply chains caused by the regional conflict.
During the meeting attended by federal ministers and senior officials, Shehbaz ordered authorities to take swift and strict action against hoarders and immediately shut down petrol pumps involved in creating artificial shortages of petroleum products.
Officials from the Ministry of Petroleum informed the meeting that the country currently has sufficient reserves of petroleum products to meet domestic requirements.
The prime minister also directed the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority to cancel the licences of petrol pumps found involved in hoarding and initiate legal proceedings against them.
Shehbaz further instructed the petroleum minister to visit provinces and coordinate with provincial governments to formulate a strategy for conserving petroleum products while ensuring uninterrupted supply to the public.
In this regard, he ordered authorities to develop a monitoring dashboard that would track transportation and supply of petroleum products nationwide to ensure effective oversight.
The meeting was attended by Ishaq Dar, Ahsan Iqbal, Muhammad Aurangzeb, Attaullah Tarar, Jam Kamal Khan, Ali Pervaiz Malik and Awais Leghari.
The governor of the State Bank of Pakistan and chief secretaries of all four provinces, as well as representatives from Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, also participated in the meeting.
The high-level review came amid concerns from market experts that petroleum prices in Pakistan could rise as the conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel escalates in the region.
Industry officials warned that the situation could become “worse than imagined” for energy supplies and prices if the strategic Strait of Hormuz remains blocked.
Concerns intensified after Iran announced earlier this week that vessels belonging to the United States, Israel, European countries or their allies would not be allowed to pass through the Strait of Hormuz following the assault on Tehran on February 28.
Amid fears of a possible fuel shortage, the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority on Thursday warned of strict action against illegal hoarding of petroleum products.
In a statement, an Ogra spokesperson said any premises found involved in illegal storage of petroleum products would be sealed.
Authorities said the petroleum supply chain is being closely monitored to ensure uninterrupted availability of fuel across the country in view of the evolving geopolitical situation.
