stations in the capital Islamabad and across the country.
Local media
reported Pakistan has 10-11 days of oil stock reserves, but many service
stations were shuttered with "Petrol Finished" signs after panic
buying overnight in a nation of nearly 200 million people.
The tanker
owners are protesting police corruption and a government move to improve safety
following a fuel tanker disaster last month, when a tanker explosion killed
more than 200 people in one of the worst accidents in Pakistan's history.
"It is
better to fill the tank," said Waseem Sheikh, one of hundreds of people
waiting at a Shell petrol station in capital Islamabad. "I don't want to
face a hard time just because I don't have fuel in my car."
Shamas
Shiwani, Vice Chairman All Pakistan Tankers Association, told Reuters the
motorway, traffic and excise police always demand bribes so a "tanker
driver has to pay so much in extortion that he hardly manages to keep his
clothes".
A new safety
push by the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) following the tanker
explosion in Punjab last month has made matters worse, Shiwani added.
Government
officials say safety has to improve in a country where many trucks are not road
worthy and pose a danger to the public.
Imran
Ghazanvi, spokesman for OGRA, said the regulator suspected oil marketing
companies were backing the strike and would "expose" the firms.
"We
will not allow this blackmailing," he told a press conference on Tuesday.
More talks
with tanker owners are scheduled for Wednesday.
Petrol
stations in the Punjabi city of Multan had mostly run out of fuel, local media
said, while in Peshawar and other cities rationing petrol purchases were
limited to 1,000 rupees ($9.50) per car and 100 rupees per motorbike.
The
government has been trying to enact tougher safety regulations following the
June 25 disaster.
A tanker
carrying fuel rolled over in the Punjab province and villagers rushed to
collect leaking fuel. Something then set off a fireball.
At least 216
people were killed at 61 injured.
($1 =
105.1200 Pakistani rupees)
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