The government announced on Friday that petrol and high‑speed diesel (HSD) prices will stay unchanged at Rs 299.5 per litre and Rs 311.47 per litre, respectively, for the next fortnight.
The decision was detailed in a notification released by the Petroleum Division.
Last week, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced a reduction of Rs 74 per litre in petrol prices and a Rs 67 cut in high‑speed diesel (HSD) prices, passing on savings from falling global oil rates.
Petrol is primarily used in private transport, small vehicles, rickshaws and two‑wheelers, with price changes directly impacting the middle‑ and lower‑middle classes.
Likewise, diesel price adjustments affect the broader public, as diesel fuels heavy transport, power plants and large generators.
In response to the global energy crunch triggered by the US‑Iran conflict and the Strait of Hormuz blockade, the government started reviewing petroleum prices weekly on Friday evenings.
During the first wartime price revision on 6 March, the government raised petrol and diesel rates by Rs 55 per litre, a move widely criticized as an “inflation bomb.”
The adjustment pushed the ex‑depot high‑speed diesel rate to Rs 335.86 per litre and the ex‑depot petrol price to Rs 321.17 per litre.
Prices hit an all‑time high on 3 April, with the government increasing petrol by Rs 137.24 per litre and HSD by Rs 184.49 per litre, bringing the rates to Rs 458.40 and Rs 520.35 per litre, respectively.
Facing public outcry over the steep increases, Prime Minister Shehbaz swiftly reduced the petrol price to Rs 378 per litre within 24 hours by cutting the petroleum levy by Rs 80 per litre.
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