All Pakistan Petroleum Products Owners Association or APPPOA has announced an infinite nationwide strike which will begin at midnight on 23rd July, 2026 and Pakistan could face widespread fuel disruption. This decision was made after the unsuccessful negotiations with Federal Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik over the proposal of the Government of daily petroleum price adjustment mechanism.
APPPOA Chairman Humayun Khan and Vice Chairman Nauman Ali Butt confirmed that their talks with the Government had failed and directed all four provinces, Azad Kashmir, and Gilgit-Balistan to shut their outlets. Around 15,000 Petrol Pumps are expected to be closed.
Two main demands have been presented by APPPOA. First, it wants the daily pricing system scrapped and replaced with a monthly revision cycle. Second, it wants dealer commissions shifted from the current flat-rate structure to a percentage-based model, arguing that existing margins have failed to keep pace with rising operating costs. The association also says pump owners were not consulted before the policy was introduced.
APPPOA clarified that this strike is not due to the increase in the prices of diesel and petrol, rather it is due to the opposing plan by Petrol Pump Owners to revise the petroleum prices everyday instead of following the existing pricing arrangements. Petrol Pump Owners argue that daily price adjustments could cause immediate inventory losses. Petrol stations purchase fuel at one price, but a sudden reduction the following day could force them to sell existing stock at a lower rate. According to APPPOA, this would create serious financial pressure across the retail fuel sector.
The strike announcement came as OGRA raised fuel prices for July 22. Petrol, or Motor Spirit, increased by Rs4.93 per litre to Rs320.73, while High-Speed Diesel rose by Rs7.15 per litre to Rs367.21.
The association also said that existing Petrol Pump Owners commissions are insufficient to meet rising operating costs. Petrol Pump Owners face increasing expenses linked to electricity, staff salaries, transportation, maintenance, security and other business requirements. They believe a daily pricing system would add further uncertainty to an already difficult operating environment.
However, the strike may not be uniform nationwide. The Pakistan Petroleum Dealers Association, or PPDA, is separate from APPPOA, and the two groups have not fully aligned their strategies. Dealers in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa supported an immediate shutdown, while those in Sindh and Balochistan initially stopped short of fully committing.
The strike could still be withdrawn if the government agrees to reconsider the daily pricing mechanism, increase dealer margins and hold further consultations with APPPOA and other stakeholders.
For now, the federal government has not issued an official response and the failed talks between APPPOA and Ali Pervaiz Malik have raised concerns about possible fuel shortages and long queues at petrol stations. The coming negotiations will determine whether the dispute is resolved or develops into a nationwide energy and transportation crisis.
