PESHAWAR : The Peshawar High Court has taken notice of the shortage of fuel across the country and ordered the federal government to resolve it in three days and submit a report. According to details, a two-member bench comprising of Justice Qaiser Rashid and Justice Ahmed Ali heard the petition filed in the Peshawar High Court against the petrol and flour crisis. Federal Minister for Petroleum Omar Ayub appeared before the court. The PHC judge said that earlier people faced wheat crisis and now petrol shortage, telling the federal minister he was summoned so that the public can be given quick relief regarding the situation. The minister told the court that the petrol companies have constituted a ‘mafia’ and creating the shortage. The court directed to legislate against hoarding and identify the culprits. The hearing of the cases was adjourned till June 17. Talking to media after appearing before the Peshawar High Court in the case related to petrol shortage, Federal Minister for Energy Omar Ayub Khan Thursday said that supply of petroleum products would improve in next three days.“We will try to improve the situation in the next three days. We have made many arrests and FIRs have been registered too, he said. The Ministry of Energy, OGRA and FIA have taken joint action against those hoarding petrol on the orders of the PM. We want to provide relief to the people,” Omar Ayub remarked. Omar Ayub Khan said action against the hoarders is underway. Mafia is creating problems to restrain people from getting benefit from the reduced fuel prices, he added. Replying to a question, the minister said FIRs have been registered against the hoarders involved in petroleum shortage and said that demand of the petroleum products is higher than 30 pc of the current supply. Earlier, the federal government had formed an investigation committee to probe the ‘artificial’ petroleum shortage in the country. According to the PSO, most of the oil marketing companies, operating in the country, did not have 21 days reserves of the petroleum products in April despite the companies were bound by licensing requirements to ensure a minimum of 21 days of consumption cover of all petroleum products at all times. The state-owned petroleum company said that when the demand for petroleum products increased in May, the companies had only two to three days of fuel stock and all the burden had shifted to the PSO.
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