KARACHI: Fuel supply to upcountry regions from Karachi has come to a standstill amid ongoing protests and road blockades in Sindh, severely impacting the entire transportation including petroleum products.
The disruption is due to a week-long sit-in led by lawyers and political activists protesting the construction of six contentious canals on the Indus River.
The protest, cantered at the Babarlo Bypass between Sukkur and Khairpur, has effectively brought transportation in between two provinces; i.e. Sindh and Punjab come to a halt.
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With no safe alternative routes available, hundreds of tank lorries are stranded, triggering concerns about potential fuel shortages in the northern parts of the country, as well as, within Sindh.
The Oil Companies Advisory Council (OCAC) has expressed serious concern over the situation and has written a letter to the Chief Secretary of the Government of Sindh, urging immediate intervention. It has requested for urgent facilitation of tank lorry movement amid road blockages in Sindh.
“As per information received from industry members, approximately 800 tank lorries are currently stranded en-route, severely hampering the industry’s ability to ensure uninterrupted fuel supplies,” the letter stated.
The OCAC further stressed that while sufficient fuel stocks are available, the blockades and lack of secure alternate paths are causing significant delays in deliveries, potentially leading to shortages in the coming days.
OCAC has urgently requested intervention of Government of Sindh to engage the local administration and issue necessary directives to ensure the security and safe passage of tank lorries throughout Sindh.
The letter, written by the Syed Nazir Abbas Zaidi, Secretary of OCAC, has also been forwarded to the Chairman of the Oil & Gas Regulatory Authority and the Director General Oil at the Ministry of Energy (Petroleum Division) for immediate attention.
As the blockade enters its second week, industry insiders warn that the continued disruption could have serious implications for fuel availability across the country, especially if swift action is not taken.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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