The Petroleum Dealers Association has alleged that oil marketing companies are hoarding by stopping the supply of petrol, due to which petrol pumps are running dry in many parts of the country.

“We do not want to disturb the public during the holy month of Ramadan, but the companies are not supplying us with petrol,” Tariq Hassan said at a press conference. He expressed concern that the prices of petroleum products could increase by another Rs 50 to Rs 60 per litre, which would further reduce the profits of dealers.

The chairman said that the government collected only Rs 21 as levy out of the Rs 55 increase, where did the rest of the huge amount go? He called several of the 42 oil marketing companies operating in the country “fake” and demanded immediate action against them.