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Oil tankers. Photo: file
SHEIKHUPURA:
Tanker drivers said they faced long waits at depots due to fuel shortages as the government downplayed fears of another rise in prices.
The US-Israeli war with Iran has disrupted shipping and damaged oil and gas facilities in the Middle East, raising global oil prices as countries struggle to deal with supply concerns.
Dozens of tankers, which deliver fuel across Pakistan, were seen parked on the side of the road at depots near Lahore, the capital of Punjab, the country’s most populous province, on Tuesday.
“There is no petrol at the depot for the last four days,” said a tanker driver, Abdul Shakoor. “Iran has closed the border from their side. The depot is empty,” he told AFP.
Last week, the government in Islamabad raised prices by about 20 percent, triggering long lines and panic buying at gas stations across the country.
Mazhar Mahmood, a tanker driver’s assistant, said: “The drivers also went to the depot today but the depot staff said there is no fuel available.” He said he was told that fuel will be available in the next five to six days.
“The situation in the country is not good. There is no petrol in the country and therefore the vehicles stay here.”
