WASIM IQBAL

ISLAMABAD: Petroleum Division has sought details about negotiations being held between Pakistan State Oil (PSO) and Oil Tanker Carriage Association (OTCA) as well as the latter’s 72-hour ultimatum to PSO to stop using NLC fleet for petroleum supplies.

Although the OTCA had agreed in a meeting held Thursday last at the PSO House that all 500 contractors, including the NLC, would follow ‘One Q-System’ for filling the TLs, All Pakistan Oil Tankers Owners Association (APOTOA) later demanded termination of PSO contract with the NLC.

Out of a fleet of 8,000 private carriages, 200 belong to NLC. Only the NLC is providing tank lorries fleet to PSO that are fully compliant with NHA and OGRA regulations. They are also transporting the product without any reported incident.

It was the second time that the association had given a 72-hour deadline to PSO to stop using NLC’s fleet for petroleum supplies. On February 20, 2002, petroleum products’ supply of the PSO had been suspended following a strike call given by the APOTOA. That time, the dispute between the oil tanker contractors and the PSO had broken out after the oil company invited pre-qualification tender at par with international standard meeting the requirements of health, safety and environment (HSM) specification.

The PSO’s management and OTCA had held a meeting Thursday last at PSO House Karachi, to decide how to handle the liquid cargo filling operations.

APOTOA Chairman Yousaf Shahwani reportedly expressed his disagreement to the decision made at the meeting after it ended. He issued a statement and demanded that PSO should stop utilizing NLC fleet for the shipment of liquid cargo in Karachi and rest of Pakistan. “If PSO does not stop using NLC for petroleum logistics in 72 hours, APOTOA will go on strike and stop supplying petroleum products across country,” Yousaf threatened.

Earlier, a PSO spokesperson said that as a caring corporate, PSO would continue its efforts to increase the number of compliant tank lorries in fuel transportation system to ensure the integrity of the public infrastructure and protection of human life.

The Oil Takers Association had held two strikes last year, one in July and the other one in October.