Fuel supply to Nato likely to resume within 3 days

RECORDER REPORT

KARACHI: Tankers have received sales orders to transport fuel to the Nata forces likely in the next three days amid growing security fears, suppliers said on Tuesday.

“Tankers started lining up at the terminal for oil filling after getting sales orders from Nato contractors,” Spokesman for All Pakistan Oil Tankers Owners Association, Israr Shinwari, told Business Recorder.

He said that the association was engaged in talks with the government officials for security arrangements to the convoys of tankers.

He said the association wanted the government to provide a security shield to their vehicles and crewmen across the country.

All the issues except the security problem have been solved, which is the one which continues to hamper resumption of fuel supply to the western forces in Afghanistan, he said, adding that hopefully the issue will be settled down soon.

Meanwhile, the chief coordinator of Transport Organizing Committee, Waheed Mughal, said the goods suppliers would go on a strike on Wednesday if the logistic companies did not meet the transporters demand of setting the issue of freight charges amounting Rs1.51 billion for the last eight months.

“We are expecting another round of talks with companies to settle the issue of outstanding dues, otherwise they would go on strike until their demand is fulfilled,” he said. Mughal said there were about 1581 goods-loaded trucks parked for the last eight months after the government imposed halted the Nato cargo deliveries in the country, following Salala tragedy. Nearly 700 owners of trucks have registered their vehicles with newly constituted National Transport Committee to press their demands on a single platform and fight for the rights, he said.