ISLAMABAD: The All Pakistan Petroleum Dealers Asso­c­iation (APPDA) on Sunday threatened a nationwide strike in protest against the government’s plan to deregulate oil prices without consulting relevant stakeholders.

The proposed deregulation, spearheaded by the petroleum division and the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra), has sparked fears of foreign dominance over Pakistan’s oil market.

In a statement after an executive committee meeting, the APPDA warned that the deregulation would hand over control of the country’s oil market to foreign entities, jeopardising energy security.

It said the country lacked the oil storage capacity required for a free market and, in the given conditions, such a decision would be suicidal. Therefore,........

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