Islamabad, March 6, 2026: Shehbaz Sharif on Friday directed authorities to develop a digital dashboard to monitor the movement and supply of petroleum products across Pakistan and share real-time data with provincial governments.
The directive was issued during a high-level meeting in Islamabad convened to review the supply and storage of petroleum products amid concerns about potential disruptions in the global energy supply chain due to the escalating conflict in the Middle East.
During the meeting, the prime minister instructed authorities to take swift and strict action against hoarders and ordered the immediate closure of petrol pumps found creating artificial shortages of petroleum products.
Officials from the Ministry of Petroleum informed the meeting that the country currently has sufficient petroleum reserves to meet domestic demand.
The prime minister also directed the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority to cancel the licences of petrol pumps involved in hoarding and initiate legal proceedings against them.
He further instructed the petroleum minister to visit provinces and coordinate with provincial governments to develop a strategy aimed at conserving petroleum products while ensuring uninterrupted supply to consumers.
In this regard, PM Shehbaz ordered the creation of a monitoring dashboard to enable effective oversight of transportation and distribution of petroleum products nationwide.
The meeting was attended by Ishaq Dar, federal ministers Ahsan Iqbal, Muhammad Aurangzeb, Attaullah Tarar, Jam Kamal Khan, Ali Pervaiz Malik and Awais Leghari.
The governor of the State Bank of Pakistan, along with chief secretaries of the four provinces, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, also participated in the meeting.
The high-level consultation was held amid growing concerns among market experts that petroleum prices in Pakistan could rise following the escalating tensions involving Iran, the United States and Israel in the Middle East.
Industry officials have warned that the situation could become significantly more challenging for global energy supplies if shipping through the Strait of Hormuz remains disrupted.
The concerns intensified after Iran announced earlier this week that vessels belonging to the US, Israel, European countries, or their allies would not be allowed to pass through the Strait of Hormuz following the assault on Tehran launched by the United States and Israel on February 28.
Amid fears of potential fuel shortages, the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority on Thursday warned of strict action against illegal hoarding of petroleum products.
An Ogra spokesperson said any premises found involved in illegal storage of petroleum products would be sealed. Authorities, the spokesperson added, are closely monitoring the petroleum supply chain to ensure uninterrupted availability of fuel across the country in view of the evolving geopolitical situation.
