The Pakistan Petroleum Dealers Association (PPDA) and the government have failed to resolve the double taxation issue, leading the association to announce a nationwide strike starting at 6 AM on July 5.
According to the 24NewsHD TV channel, PPDA Chairman Abdul Sami Khan said meetings in Islamabad with the Finance Minister, Chairman of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), and Chairman of the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) ended without resolution, prompting the strike.
PPDA Chairman Abdul Sami Khan warned that the strike could last more than a day and negotiations will not resume until the government retracts the double taxation policy.
He advised the petroleum dealers to maintain their petrol supplies until July 4 as petrol pumps across the country will start running dry from by the night.
The PPDA chairman also mentioned that approximately 13,000 dealers nationwide will shut down their petrol pumps from July 5 and urged citizens to fill up their vehicles before the strike begins.
Abdul Sami Khan demanded the government to immediately withdraw the advance tax decision, adding that the imposed 0.5 percent advance turnover tax will devastate the petrol pump business.