Pakistani oil tanker drivers were on strike for the second day Thursday and staged noisy protests here against the spiralling fuel price, industry sources said.
They burnt tyres and chanted slogans against the military regime of General Pervez Musharraf, which raised prices of different petroleum products between 7.5 and 19.6 percent last month.
Petroleum Minister Usman Aminuddin flew to this southern port city Thursday to convince the drivers to end their protest, warning that the country would face fuel shortages within two days if the strike continued.
The All Pakistan Oil Tankers Owners Association has demanded a 25 percent rise in freight charges following fuel price hike.
Pakistan State Oil Company is the main supplier of oil while Shell Pakistan and Caltex Oil are second and third main oil marketing companies in the country. Supply from all three companies has been stopped since Wednesday morning. —AFP.
©--Agence France Presse 2001.
© 2001 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
