The Pakistani government has announced a fresh increase in petroleum product prices, raising diesel by Rs7.15 per litre and petrol by Rs4.93 per litre, according to an official notification issued Tuesday.
Islamabad, Pakistan – Web Desk: Under the new pricing, petrol will now cost Rs320.73 per litre, while diesel has been fixed at Rs367.21 per litre. The revised rates take effect from July 22 and apply nationwide.
The notification also confirmed a hike in kerosene oil prices, which have gone up by Rs6.78 per litre, bringing the new rate to Rs289.37 per litre.
The price increase comes just as tensions escalate between the government and fuel retailers. The All Pakistan Petroleum Pumps Association had earlier announced an indefinite, nationwide shutdown of petrol pumps, set to begin at midnight, after talks with the Ministry of Petroleum over a proposed daily pricing mechanism collapsed.
General Secretary of the association, Noman Ali Butt, said in a video statement that pump owners categorically reject any system that revises fuel prices on a daily basis, calling the government’s plan unworkable and unacceptable. He confirmed that, following the breakdown in negotiations, petrol stations across the country would remain closed indefinitely starting midnight.
The twin developments — a fresh price hike coupled with a looming pump shutdown — raise the risk of severe fuel shortages and long queues at filling stations across Pakistan in the days ahead, with consumers likely to bear the brunt of the standoff.
