Spokesman Reporter

Islamabad: The Department of Explosives and the Pakistan Petroleum Dealers Association (PPDA) have decided to work together to eradicate the menace of mushrooming illegal dabba stations and nozzles across the country.

 These dabba stations sell smuggled fuel without any safety precautions and fear of the law, posing a grave threat to the lives and property of the masses.

These nozzles are now openly operating on every street and neighbourhood in all the small and large towns and even in major cities across Pakistan, a 25-member Reforms Committee of the PPDA informed Abdul Ali Khan, the DG of Explosives Department.

During the meeting, the PPDA leaders apprised the DG of the hazards the masses face due to illegal fuel shops with huge tanks buried under shops in residential and commercial areas.

Dozens of such nozzle shops and dabba stations catch fire frequently and have killed many in recent years, said Hassan Shah, an executive member of the PPDA.

He added that the growing number of nozzles installed in shops and roadside cabins has endangered their legal business, which pays billions in taxes and provides employment to hundreds of thousands of people.

Hassan Shah revealed that the daily smuggling of nearly 14 million litres of fuel into Pakistan costs the country billions of rupees.

On occasion, DG Explosives Abdul Ali Khan expressed concern over the mounting threat and conveyed his strong resolve to eradicate the dabba stations from every nook and cranny of the country.

He said that all the district presidents of PPDA would identify and furnish a list of all such illegal fuel sale points, including the names and cell numbers of operators and the estimated quantity of fuel held at these points.

 Abdul Ali Khan stated that the designated focal person would receive these lists; we will verify them, and then target the offenders district by district.

 He stated that Deputy Commissioners, Additional Deputy Commissioners, Assistant Commissioners, District Police Officers, DSPs, and SHOs will have the legal authority and responsibility to take action. The officials who were too lax in carrying out the directives will face legal consequences.

He directed the PPDA to supervise these departments’ performance and send weekly feedback through Hassan Shah, the PPDA’s focal person, with a monthly meeting to review the progress.

 DG Explosives Abdul Ali Khan announced the start of a vigorous nationwide campaign to stop the practice of selling smuggled fuel after finalizing the lists of wrongdoers.

 Later, Nadeem Aziz Khan, Chairman Gujranwala Division, Amjad Shinwari, Chairman Kohat Division, and others met with Chairman OGRA and DG Petroleum, who assured all-out cooperation in eliminating the menace.

Petroleum dealers stated that DG Explosives cooperation in this regard is unprecedented, and we feel indebted to him.

 Khwaj Atif Ahmed, Secretary Information PPDA; Humayun Khan, President Khanewal; Zaheer Ahmed Paracha, President Laiyah; Nauman Ali Butt, Coordinator North; Waseem Butt and Haji Abdul Karim Khan from Karachi; Agha Sarwar, Chairman Baluchistan; Sultan Muhammad Sheerani, President Zoab Division; Akhter Nawaz, Chairman KPK; Sawab Gul, General Secretary KPK; Mian Ali Jan, President Malakand and Mr. Jan Alam Mehsud, President Dera Ghazi Khan were also present in the meeting.