KARACHI – Pakistan has allowed the import of petrol, diesel and crude oil after month-long ban amid declining prices of oil in the international market due to coronavirus outbreak.
The government has taken the decision to meet the the increasing demand of petroleum products due to ongoing harvesting season in the country.
In a letter sent to the Oil Companies Advisory Council (OCAC), the Petroleum Division said that a surge in the demand of petrol and diesel was observed with the start of April.
“In order to cater to the rising demand of petroleum products, smooth operation of oil refineries is required and therefore, oil refineries may import crude oil as per their requirement,” said the letter.
On March 25, the federal government had banned the import of crude oil and petroleum products due to lockdown that has been imposed to control the spread of the coronavirus.
The number of coronavirus cases in Pakistan rose Sunday to a total of 13,000, according to government data, after recording more than 1,000 cases in the past 24 hours.
The death toll related to COVID-19 has reached 272, according to the National Command and Control Centre, while at least 2,936 patients have fully recovered.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has reported highest number of deaths, a total of 93, while Sindh and Punjab follow with 81 fatalities each. Balochistan has so far recorded 11 deaths; Gilgit Baltistan, 3; and Islamabad, 3.
The first two fatalities from COVID-19, as the illness is officially known, were reported in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on March 18 (Wednesday).
