Islamabad, 6 May, 2025: Selling Cheap Diesel at high-end rates has sparked criticism from the Oil Marketing Association of Pakistan (OMAP), which has voiced serious concern over the distribution of low-grade high-speed diesel (HSD) being passed off as Euro-V compliant fuel.
The group has urged the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) to take swift corrective measures to protect both consumers and the environment.
In a formal letter dated 2 May, OMAP Chairman Tariq Wazir Ali criticised OGRA’s recent policy requiring oil marketing firms to source supplies from domestic refineries.
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According to the association, this regulation has resulted in the circulation of diesel that significantly deviates from the Euro-V fuel standards that Pakistan officially embraced in 2021.
OMAP cited alarming sulfur levels in locally refined diesel, claiming some batches contain as much as 10,000 parts per million (PPM) of sulfur far beyond the 10 PPM threshold allowed under Euro-V standards.
The association alleged that selling cheap diesel of such inferior quality at the same rate as imported, cleaner fuel is both misleading and unjust.
“This practice deceives consumers and exposes them to serious health and environmental hazards,” the association stated, describing it as both economically unsound and ethically unacceptable.
It warned that prolonged exposure to high-sulfur emissions could lead to air pollution, acid rain, and chronic respiratory diseases.
Further compounding the issue, OMAP revealed that while imported diesel added only 64 metric tons of sulfur in the 2023–24 period, locally refined products contributed over 15,800 metric tons.
The association also raised concerns about the mixing of low-quality local fuel with imported diesel in the White Oil Pipeline, which it says compromises fuel purity and misleads consumers.
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Despite receiving over Rs500 billion in deemed duty incentives meant for technological upgrades, most domestic refineries have failed to modernise their operations to meet global fuel standards, the association added.
OMAP called on OGRA to implement a price structure that reflects fuel quality, ban the blending of different sulfur-content fuels in shared pipelines, enforce strict Euro-V compliance across all refineries, and introduce full transparency in fuel distribution networks.
Unless immediate reforms are enacted, OMAP warned, the credibility of regulatory institutions could suffer, and public trust may further deteriorate.
