Low quality oil is responsible for increasing cancer cases in Pakistan.
The Chairman of the Standing Committee on Petroleum, Ghulam Mustafa Mehmood, has raised concerns about the bad quality of oil produced by local refineries, suggesting that this is linked to the increasing rates of cancer and asthma in Pakistan.
In a meeting held on Thursday, Mehmood stated that five refineries must sign agreements to comply with international standards by October 22, stressing that the low-grade oil they are refining poses serious health risks.
Also read: Saudi oil company Aramco to launch first gas station in Pakistan by year end
The meeting also included discussions about senior officials from the Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL) and Pakistan Petroleum Limited (PPL), who were reported to be in London for talks related to the Reko Diq Project.
Secretary of Petroleum, Momin Agha, explained that Petroleum Minister Musadik Malik was attending Russia Energy Week during this time, and that the London meetings were crucial for the projects at hand.
During the session, the Director General of Oil indicated that local refineries currently meet only Euro 2 standards for oil quality.
Also read: Pakistan’s largest oil refinery shuts down
Meanwhile, the Managing Director of Pakistan State Oil (PSO) advocated for maintaining a 3 percent guaranteed return for the refineries.
Apart from these financial incentives, Chairman Mehmood expressed disappointment over the lack of improvement in product quality and reiterated the urgent need for refineries to enhance their output for the safety of the public.
