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The government of Pakistan has decided to keep petrol and high-speed diesel (HSD) prices unchanged for the coming week, according to a notification issued by the Petroleum Division. Petrol remains at Rs299.50 per litre, and high-speed diesel remains at Rs311.47 per litre. The decision follows last week's reduction, when Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced a Rs74 cut in petrol prices and a Rs67 cut in HSD prices as part of passing on the benefit of declining international oil prices.

Coverage Comparison

All reporting on this story came from Dawn, the Pakistani English-language daily. The outlet covered the development in three separate articles, each offering slightly different angles. One report focused on the ministerial defense of the decision, while the other two emphasized the government's notification and the historical context of recent fuel price fluctuations.

Key Claims

The government has kept petrol and HSD prices at their current levels through a formal notification issued by the Petroleum Division. Last week, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reduced petrol by Rs74 per litre and high-speed diesel by Rs67 per litre. These changes are significant because petrol is primarily used in private vehicles, rickshaws, and two-wheelers, affecting middle- and lower-middle-class households, while diesel is heavily used in transport and power generation, impacting the broader economy.

The decision comes after a period of sharp price increases triggered by the US-Iran conflict and the Strait of Hormuz blockade. The government began revising petroleum prices every Friday night during the wartime period. In the first revision on March 6, petrol and diesel prices were hiked by Rs55 per litre, a move critics called an "inflation bomb." Prices reached their peak on April 3, when the government raised petrol by Rs137.24 per litre and HSD by Rs184.49, bringing them to Rs458.4 and Rs520.35 per litre, respectively. Following public backlash over these unprecedented hikes, PM Shehbaz reduced petrol to Rs378 per litre within 24 hours by slashing the petroleum levy by Rs80 per litre.

Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik responded to criticism by sharing international oil price data on social media platform X. He noted that petrol prices ranged between $90.36 and $98.35 per barrel during June 22-26, while high-speed diesel traded between $104.79 and $109.09 per barrel. "The government is neither giving preference to any sector nor imposing any undue burden on the other," he said. He added that the government is committed to passing on any benefit to consumers within the scope of its international obligations. Highlighting the government's record, Malik noted that PM Shehbaz has so far reduced diesel prices by Rs200 per litre and petrol by Rs155 per litre.

Perspectives

Former Sindh Governor Mohammad Zubair questioned the decision, saying that despite international oil prices at pre-war levels, petrol in Pakistan remains at Rs300 per litre. "Why not pass the benefit to people?" he asked.

PTI's Haleem Adil Sheikh accused the government of failing to provide relief to the public. He claimed that fuel prices had "fallen across much of the world," but Pakistan's "corrupt government" had refused to pass on any relief. He also alleged that the government had previously hiked fuel prices on stock purchased at lower rates, handing "massive windfall profits to oil marketing companies and petrol pumps." He said, "The people pay, while the corrupt protect vested interests."