MULTAN, Feb 14: The All-Pakistan Oil Tanker Owners Association has threatened suspension of oil supply from all depots of the country and protest outside the Prime Minister House in Multan if the government fails to address their security and other concerns within 10 days.

Speaking at a press conference here on Saturday, association chairman Mir Yousaf Shahwani and PML-N President (Muzaffargarh) Malik Khalid Khar regretted that nearly 30 tanker drivers had been killed in the NWFP while transporting supplies to Nato, while 20 others had been killed in the remaining three provinces during dacoity attempts.

They said the killing of drivers and tanker heists had assumed alarming rate in the country, exposing the inefficiency of law enforcers. They said the police were more often than not reluctant to register cases of tanker heists and the Pakistan State Oil too was refusing insurance of the vehicles.

The two speakers alleged that the Mach and Koalpur SHOs were involved in such incidents as they refuse to register cases. Bolan Pass is the area where the number of such activities is increasing with every passing day.

Mr Shahwani accused an MNA from Muzaffargarh of patronising the oil-adulteration mafia and having more than 450 illegal oil agencies. He said the PPP government had closed 16 oil depots (with 1,600 people employed) despite the fact that oil depots were not causing any loss to the exchequer. He also pointed finger towards a high petroleum industry official for “supporting the oppressive policies of the Attock Refinery Limited”.

He said the price of one-litre diesel was not more than Rs18, but those in power were exploiting the masses by charging arbitrarily high rates in the name of international market prices.

The oil tankers’ owner also expressed concern over the pathetic state of roads and bridges though, he said, the National Highway Authorities was collecting millions of rupees in taxes in addition to funding by the World Bank. He demanded reduction in diesel prices, steps to control highway robberies, insurance of tankers by the PSO and restoration of the oil depots.

He warned that they would spill furnace oil on all main roads in the country to block traffic after suspending the oil supply and lay siege to the prime minister’s place in Multan if their demands are not met.—Correspondent