KARACHI, Feb 2: Motorists and bikers have been made to suffer by many owners of petrol stations who have suspended the sale of petrol and diesel for the last two days in an effort to avoid feared losses after reports that the government was planning to cut prices of the two petroleum products by Rs5 to Rs6 per litre on Feb 2.

Dealers have been suspending sales of diesel and petrol for the last several months at the cost of consumers, but the government has not yet asked the Pakistan Petroleum Dealers Association (PPDA) whether there were any genuine reasons or it was a deliberate attempt to create an artificial shortage and reap undue profits.

Even the Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) have been watching the situation from the sidelines as there were many cases where their own pumps had dried out of petrol and diesel. In the last week of December 2008, too, pump owners had created the same situation.

There were long queues of consumers, especially those of motorcyclists, where petrol was available at the pumps. In fear of a looming petrol crisis, consumers tried to fill their tanks to the maximum level.

Many pump owners, dealing only in diesel and petrol, had kept the outlets closed throughout the day while others had covered the dispensers with cloth or paper. Workers at the pumps were strictly told by pump owners to remain tight-lipped on any inquiry from consumers.

“I do not know why the sale of petrol has been suspended,” said a number of workers at various outlets.

Many consumers at the pumps were heard wondering why the government had not launched any crackdown on pump owners who were creating inconveniences for the masses.

Pakistan Petroleum Dealers Association (PPDA) Chairman Abdul Sami Khan said the adviser to the prime minister on petroleum had already clearly stated that the price would not come down on Feb 1.

But various ministers, who have nothing to do with the petroleum sector, had started issuing statements regarding a downward revision of petrol by Rs5 to Rs6 per litre ahead of the monthly price review.

He said these statements compelled the panicky dealers to suspend purchases from the OMCs to avert losses on the stocks in their underground storage tanks. He added that the underground tanks had a storage capacity of 15,000 to 50,000 tons depending on the location and sales of the pumps.

He added that the dealers had lifted so much petrol and diesel that could run from Jan 30-31, but various ministers’ statements created panic among pump owners. Besides, Feb 1 was a weekly holiday.

However, he claimed he had asked the OMCs to provide supply of petrol and diesel on Sunday, but they refused to oblige him.

Mr Khan said: “From Sunday to Monday night, some 60 per cent of the pumps in Karachi had no petrol and diesel, while some 40-50 per cent of pumps in up-country had dried in the same period.”

He urged ministers to stop issuing statements about price fluctuations ahead of a monthly price review. He said he had asked the government to keep the price fixing issue a secret till 6pm and announce the new price at midnight.

He denied that the dealers were deliberately creating a shortage despite having enough stocks. They had suspended the sale as they did not have the product, he added.

Sources in the Oil Companies Advisory Committee, a body comprising members of local refineries and oil marketing companies, said petroleum dealers had not lifted petrol since Jan 29 and the situation worsened especially on Sunday.

For example, they said from Jan 29 till 31, the sale of petrol by the OMCs had gone down to 2,000 tons a day from the normal 4,200 tons a day in the country.

They said there was virtually no shortage from the refineries and the OMCs and the country had still enough stocks of petrol for 13-14 days. So there was no question of shortage of oil products all over the country.

An official in the Pakistan State Oil (PSO), who asked not to be named, said the company, having a 71 per cent market share, was facing an additional burden due to the closure of pumps by other private sector OMCs.

He added that efforts were being made to continue operation till the whole night of Monday to maintain the supply of petrol at their pumps.

When asked why many PSO pumps were closed, he said the company had issued warnings to pump owners against creating an artificial shortage. The PSO had already imported about 75,000 tons of petrol since December 2008.

He said at many a big pump, the company had to supply 40,000 tons a day as against its 10,000 tons of daily supply.