Gas stations to close on July 5, dealers protest unfair taxation

The Pakistan Petroleum Dealers Association (PPDA) has announced the closure of petrol pumps nationwide on July 5. Abdul Sami Khan, the chairman of PPDA, made the announcement at a press conference in Islamabad, highlighting their grievances against the government’s fiscal policies.

“We cannot continue to operate petrol pumps at a loss. There is no way we can sustain our business under these conditions,” Khan said, painting a bleak picture of the future of the sector. Dealers are angry over the recent imposition of a 0.5 per cent advance tax, which they say is the last straw for their already thin profit margins. “We have been hit with a double blow. Our margins are already very thin, and now this new tax is draining us,” he said.

Khan revealed that they had met the finance minister in the hope of getting relief, but their concerns were brushed aside. “It is a bitter pill to swallow,” he noted. “If this tax is passed, we will have no choice but to shut down our pumps. And if our livelihoods are at stake, we will take even harsher action.”

Adding fuel to the fire, Khan accused the government of turning a blind eye to Iranian oil smuggling. “We are shouting from the rooftops but no one is listening. We need a deal with Iran and proper taxation of its oil to stop this smuggling. It is the government’s duty to crack down on this illegal activity.”