Pakistan is facing the threat of a severe, nationwide fuel crisis as numerous petroleum cargoes are stranded at its ports. The immediate cause is a sudden policy reinstatement by the Sindh government, which has enforced a 100% bank guarantee requirement under the Infrastructure Development Cess (IDC).
The oil industry has sounded the alarm, warning that if immediate action is not taken, the entire fuel supply system could “collapse within a few days.”
The Oil Companies Advisory Council (OCAC) has issued an emergency appeal to federal and provincial authorities, revealing that at least five major petroleum vessels are stuck awaiting customs clearance at Karachi ports. These ships are carrying vital petrol and diesel supplies for companies including PSO, HPL, PGL, and Parko.
Compounding the urgency, Motor Spirit (petrol) reserves at Kemari are depleting rapidly. The industry warns that if the delays continue, the country could face a severe shortage, critically timed during the peak agricultural season. According to OCAC, the supply chain is on the verge of collapse, and if the cargoes are not cleared immediately, restoring the system could take more than two weeks.
In response, the Ministry of Petroleum has established a 24/7 monitoring cell to oversee the supply situation. While this cell will report to the Secretary of Petroleum every 12 hours, observers have criticized the move as a temporary reaction rather than a sustainable solution to the underlying policy dispute.
