ISLAMABAD: The Oil Tankers Contractors Association of Pakistan (OTCAP) has called off its days-long strike after the government invited the protesting oil transporters for talks today, on Wednesday, in Islamabad to address their concerns relating to a pipeline project.
The White Oil Pipeline project, inaugurated in 2005, aims to facilitate smooth transportation of oil between the southern port city of Karachi to Mehmood Kot in the eastern Punjab province, with the goal of reducing the traffic congestion caused by approximately 4,000 trucks and mitigating negative environmental impacts.
The OTCAP initiated a strike over the weekend, citing dissatisfaction with their share in the project and its failure to compensate for their lost business. The strike led to fears of a shortage of petroleum products in the South Asian country already reeling from an economic crisis.
However, the government, after being warned of another possible crisis by the Oil Companies Advisory Council (OCAC), invited the oil transporters for talks in Islamabad on Wednesday afternoon.
“We are ending the strike, which was continued for two days, and restoring the supply of oil,” the OTCAP said in a statement on Tuesday night.
The White Oil Pipeline project, managed by the Pak-Arab Pipeline Company Limited (PAPCO), is considered crucial for sustaining industrial growth and agricultural productivity, especially as energy demand in the country continues to rise.
The OTCAP said it had demanded 65 percent in the pipeline project as well as an increase in fares of oil tankers.
It said it decided to restore the oil supply keeping the public woes in view.