Petrol and diesel have gotten more expensive in Pakistan again, marking the sixth straight increase in the government’s fortnightly-turned-daily pricing mechanism. The Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) notified new ex-depot rates effective from midnight, pushing petrol up by Rs4.42 per litre and high-speed diesel (HSD) up by Rs6.10 per litre, according to The Express Tribune and Business Recorder.
With this adjustment, petrol now costs Rs380.24 per litre, up from Rs375.82, while HSD — the fuel that powers freight trucks, buses and agricultural machinery — has crossed Rs409, rising to Rs409.42 per litre from Rs403.32. Both outlets confirmed the same figures, and the increase follows the previous adjustment made on September 12, when petrol had already jumped by Rs5.02 and diesel by Rs5.28 per litre.
| Fuel | Previous Price (per litre) | New Price (per litre) | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Petrol (Motor Spirit) | Rs375.82 | Rs380.24 | +Rs4.42 |
| High-Speed Diesel (HSD) | Rs403.32 | Rs409.42 | +Rs6.10 |
The hikes are being driven almost entirely by turmoil in international oil markets rather than any domestic factor. Brent crude futures climbed more than 2.6 percent to touch $107.33 a barrel, while US benchmark West Texas Intermediate rose to $102.56, according to Business Recorder. The spike follows a Houthi attack on Saudi Arabia’s east-west crude pipeline, which analysts say has forced Riyadh to reroute shipments and put roughly 4 percent of global oil supply at risk. Since Pakistan imports the bulk of its petroleum needs, ex-depot prices here move in near lockstep with these international swings under the pricing formula OGRA applies.
The cumulative effect has been steep: Business Recorder and Aaj News both note that between July 1 and September 11 alone, petrol prices in Pakistan rose by roughly Rs72 per litre — about 24 percent — while diesel climbed close to Rs87 per litre, or 28 percent, as the government moved from weekly to daily price reviews on July 17.
The increase comes just two days after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced a fuel relief scheme for motorcycles and rickshaws, with the petroleum ministry reportedly earmarking around Rs25 billion a month for a subsidy of up to Rs100 per litre for low-income commuters. That relief programme is separate from the general ex-depot rate that applies to cars, trucks and most other consumers.
