LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Wednesday directed the petroleum and Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) secretary to submit a comprehensive report on a difference in fuel supply and demand.

Earlier, petroleum ministry`s counsel told the court petrol demand in Punjab was 12,290 metric ton per day till the last month of 2014 but `strangely` it rose to over 40,000 metric ton with the start of 2015 due to decline in the prices.

He said the sudden increase in demand led to petrol shortage. However, he claimed the petrol was easily available in the province now.

Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah observed that the people were still enduring long queues at filling stations. The judge said it was vital for the court to know how the petrol disappeared from the pumps.

Justice Shah sought a report from petroleum and Ogra secretary on the price fixing mechanism for petroleum products and the difference between demand and supply. The judge will resume hearing on Thursday (today).

Two lawyers -Safdar Shaheen Pirzada and Gohar Nawaz Sindhu -filed the petitions saying the government created an artificial petrol shortage and defrauded the nation depriving it of billions of rupees. They said the shortage of petrol would soon result in a crisis-like situation in the country.

The petitioners stated a judicial inquiry should be ordered to fix responsibility for the petrol crisis.