KHYBER: The illegal sale of petrol and diesel has badly hit the business of licensed filling stations in Jamrud tehsil here over the last few months.

The illegal “mini petrol pumps” are understood to have high sales for selling fuel at rates lower than the notified ones.

However, their petroleum products are substandard, claim the owners of the legal filling stations.

They told Dawn that a no-objection certificate was required from authorities for establishing a petrol pump, but none of those illegal petrol pumps had it.

Haji Speni Gul, the owner of a local petrol station, said there were around 12 licensed filling stations along the main road between Jamrud and Landi Kotal, but more and more mini pumps were opening due to the leniency of the district administration towards their illegal operations.

AC says crackdown planned for next week

“These people bring petrol and diesel from the local suppliers in small quantities as oil companies don’t provide them with fuel for being unregistered,” he told Dawn.

Shareefullah, a manager at another petrol pump, said the lower prices of fuel sold by the illegal outlets had adversely affected the sales of some lawful petrol pumps in the last six to seven months.

He said some filing station owners were considering closing their businesses due to the continuous losses.

Resident Sajjad Gul said the presence of illegal petrol pumps in crowded marketplaces and residential areas threatened public life and property as none of them hadn’t taken safety measures.

He said substandard fuel, mostly bought by taxi drivers, also damaged automobile engines.

When contacted, assistant commissioner of Jamrud Ameer Zeb confirmed the operations of unlawful filling stations and said the administration would crack down on them next week.

PROTEST: Scores of residents demonstrated at Bacha Khan Chowk in Landi Kotal Bazaar here on Friday complaining about “unwarranted” raids on private premises by the police and counter-terrorism department in the name of search operations against militants and wanted men.

Tehsil council chairman Shah Khalid led the demonstration, which was attended by political activists and civil society members in large numbers.

Mr Khalid insisted that conducting raids without the registration of FIRs was not only illegal but also violated tribal traditions.

He said the residents were law-abiding citizens and respected laws but wouldn’t allow anyone to unlawfully enter their houses at night, and that, too, in plain clothes.

The council chairman alleged that an elderly tribesman was killed in crossfire in Jamrud as the police entered a house without search warrants to arrest a suspected criminal.

He insisted that a similar incident was reported in Landi Kotal last night.

Mr Khalid warned that law-enforcement agencies could run into trouble if they continued with nighttime raids without taking elders and influential people into confidence.

The demonstrators demanded that the DPO hold an impartial inquiry into those raids to the relief of residents.

Published in Dawn, April 27th, 2024