Pakistan announces austerity measures amid rising fuel prices

admin — Thu, 17 Sep 2026 15:41:00 +0000

People on motorbikes ride past a portrait of Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, set up in protest against rising fuel prices amid the U.S.-Iran conflict, ahead of the nationwide rollout of a government scheme offering a PKR 100-per-litre subsidy to eligible motorcycles, rickshaws and vehicles up to 800cc, in Karachi, Pakistan, on September 16, 2026.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Pakistan on Thursday (September 17, 2026) announced a raft of austerity measures to curb fuel consumption as escalating conflicts in West Asia led to an increase in global oil prices, threatening nationwide gas and power supplies.

The measures, approved by the Pakistan cabinet, will remain in effect for three months as the government seeks to contain fuel consumption and expenditure.

The development comes after the government on Tuesday (September 15, 2026) raised the price of petrol by PKR 4.10 per litre and high-speed diesel (HSD) by PKR 6.41 per litre, taking them to PKR 384.34 and PKR 415.83 per litre, respectively.

Also Read | Pakistan mulls revival of austerity measures amid West Asia hostilities

Oil prices have risen amid continuing tensions in West Asia and concerns over supplies following attacks on energy infrastructure in Saudi Arabia, including the temporary closure of its East-West oil pipeline after an aerial attack.

Under the measures announced on Thursday (September 17, 2026), fuel allocations for government vehicles will be cut by 50%, although vehicles used by the armed forces, law enforcement agencies and essential services will be exempted.

Markets will be required to close by 9 p.m., while marriage halls can operate until 10 p.m. and restaurants until 11 p.m. Drug stores and medical laboratories will be exempted from the restrictions.

The government also announced a 5% reduction in non-employee-related expenditure and banned official foreign visits as well as domestic travel for meetings, asking officials to switch to virtual meetings instead.

Official dinners have also been prohibited, except those hosted for foreign visitors and delegations, while the purchase of new government vehicles has been banned.

Published – September 17, 2026 09:11 pm IST

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Pakistan To Hike Petrol Prices Again. This Is What It Will Cost Now

admin — Sat, 30 Mar 2024 06:26:52 +0000

Fuel prices are reviewed every 15 days based on the global rates (Representational)

Islamabad:

Pakistan could face a fresh burden of inflated petrol rates in the upcoming fortnightly review of petroleum prices, Geo News reported on Saturday.

According to industry officials, the price of petrol is poised to inflate by nearly 10 Pakistani Rupee (PKR) per litre due to a surge in international crude prices.

The petrol price is likely to jack up to PKR 289.69 per litre in the next fortnightly review from the current PKR 279.75 per litre, as per the estimates of the oil industry.

Meanwhile, the price of high-speed diesel (HSD) is estimated to decrease by PKR 1.30 per litre to PKR 284.26 from the current price of PKR 285.86 per litre, Geo News reported.

The price of kerosene is expected to register a minor decline of PKR 0.17 per litre to PKR 188.49 per litre from the existing PKR 188.66 per litre. Similarly, the price of light diesel oil (LDO) is likely to increase by PKR 0.45 per litre to PKR 168.63 from the existing PKR 168.18 per litre.

“The local price of petrol will be raised due to a hike in prices in the international market,” said an official. “The international price of petrol jumped to $95 per barrel in the last two weeks compared to $90 per barrel in the first fortnight of March.”

“The massive change in the petrol price would come because of the rise in the price of petrol in the global market.”

However, due to a global decline in the HSD price, there would be a decrease in its price in Pakistan as well. The price of HSD dropped to $98 per barrel globally in the last weeks compared to $99 per barrel in the first 15 days of March.

Geo News reported citing industry officials, that this decline would be translated into more than a one-rupee decrease in the price for domestic consumers.

They also said that the local prices of petroleum products will not be impacted significantly as the exchange rate has almost remained stabilised during the last four weeks.

The fuel prices are reviewed every 15 days based on the global rates and exchange rate of the local currency. The rupee registered a slight increase against the US dollar, trading at around 277.94 per dollar on Friday.

The federal government will announce the final prices on Sunday (tomorrow) which will take effect from April 1 (Monday).

The petrol prices remained unchanged in the last fortnightly review while the price of HSD decreased by PKR 1.77 per litre.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Pakistan announces austerity measures amid rising fuel prices

Pakistan To Hike Petrol Prices Again. This Is What It Will Cost Now