Traffic restrictions imposed in Islamabad due to the arrival of foreign delegations and heightened security measures have begun to significantly impact the country’s energy sector. Attock Refinery Limited has announced the temporary shutdown of its main production unit following a halt in crude oil supply and disruptions in the distribution of refined petroleum products.
Notification to Stock Exchange
In an emergency notice issued to the Pakistan Stock Exchange, the refinery management stated that sudden restrictions on heavy traffic and oil tankers in Islamabad have made it impossible to sustain operations. According to the notice, road closures have completely stopped the supply of crude oil to the refinery, while the inability to dispatch petrol and diesel has caused storage tanks to reach full capacity.
Shutdown of Production Unit
Refinery officials said that due to the lack of raw material and exhausted storage capacity, the refinery has shut down its largest “main crude distillation unit,” which has a capacity of 32,400 barrels per day. Sources confirmed that the unit will remain inactive until traffic restrictions in Islamabad are lifted and the movement of oil tankers resumes.
Risk of Supply Disruptions
Economic and energy experts have warned that the shutdown of the main unit could disrupt the supply of petroleum products—particularly petrol and diesel—in regions such as Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The refinery management stated that it is closely monitoring the situation and will resume production as soon as road access is restored.
It is worth noting that due to the presence of key foreign delegations in Islamabad, security remains on high alert, and local authorities have imposed restrictions on the entry of heavy vehicles on major routes—directly affecting industrial and commercial transportation.
