Petroleum Bill 2025 Passes with 3-2 Vote

Islamabad, August 19, 2025, 06:29 PM PKT — The Senate Standing Committee on Petroleum has edged past a contentious hurdle, narrowly approving the Petroleum Amendment Bill 2025 with a tight vote of three in favor and two against, despite fierce resistance from Balochistan senators who warned of dire livelihood impacts, as per news reports. The Petroleum Division justified the bill’s six new clauses to crush rampant petroleum smuggling, empowering authorities to seal filling stations, confiscate equipment, and target vehicles in the illegal trade, with Customs officials gaining seizure powers and deputy commissioners securing magisterial authority over confiscated goods and penalties.

Committee Chairman Senator Umar Farooq pledged amendments to mitigate public harm, while the petroleum secretary stressed the bill’s necessity to halt billions in smuggled fuel losses, benefiting smuggling cartels over transporters, targeting large oil tankers over 40,000 liters—not motorcycles or small vehicles. Yet, Senator Maulana Abdul Wasey decried the devastation to Balochistan’s economy, citing 5,000–6,000 seized small vehicles, and Senator Saadia Abbasi demanded consultations with petroleum industry and provincial stakeholders, warning that rushing the bill without Balochistan’s input could breed resentment and backfire, requesting a meeting with Federal Board of Revenue and Customs officials. Web context on energy laws shows regional tensions, while posts found on X reflect anger—some back anti-smuggling, others fear provincial fallout. Critically, the narrative of “smuggling control” may mask regional disparities—web data hints at past neglect, and X sentiment suggests distrust in fair enforcement, pointing to potential conflict.