Pakistan Petroleum Dealers Association (PPDA) chairman Abdul Sami Khan said that there are more than 500 stations with dispensers and roadside outlets in Karachi and its outskirts now as compared to 150-200 a few years back.
Sale of smuggled Iranian petrol and diesel is going on for a few years and the number of illegal outlets has increased sharply in many cities of Sindh and Balochistan provinces including Karachi and Quetta.
A difference of Rs7 to Rs8 per litre in Iranian petrol and diesel in Karachi as compared to products of oil marketing companies (OMC) is luring public and private vehicle owners.
A petroleum dealer in Quetta said that Iranian petrol was available at Rs8 per litre less than OMC product while Iranian diesel was sold at Rs12 per litre low price than the price of OMC diesel in various parts of Balochistan.
PPDA has strived hard in the last eight to 10 years against the entry of smuggled products.
“At least 20 investigation reports in various police stations of Karachi against ‘dabba’ stations and roadside facilities also failed to bear any results,” Khan said.
Scores of meetings with Customs officials, FBR, Ministry of Petroleum and explosive department also proved fruitless, he alleged.
“Sometimes the authorities become active but after a few days, the sale of smuggled products restarts with support of the police,” he said.
Dealers said adding strict checks at the Iran-Pakistan border as well as intra-provincial borders, effective police crackdown and full cooperation of Commissioner and DCO of various cities can control this menace.
Balochistan Petroleum Dealers Association vice president Sarwar Shah said the government has started crackdown against transporters involved in transporting products in buses.
An OMC official said that sale was decreasing the market share besides affecting vehicle performance.