PM Shebaz asks petroleum minister to travel to Karachi over fuel prices

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has instructed Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik to travel to Karachi and take immediate action to alleviate fuel price concerns for the public. This directive came during a meeting between the PM and the minister, where other officials including the Minister of Information and Broadcasting, Minister of Economic Affairs, Minister of Climate Change, and Member of National Assembly were present.

The PM emphasized that the minister should personally visit Karachi and negotiate with local refineries to lower the prices of domestically produced diesel. According to the Prime Minister's Office, the majority of diesel production occurs in local refineries, and swift negotiations with these refineries are crucial for reducing prices and providing immediate relief to the public.

Recently, the opposition party Jamaat-e-Islami held citywide protests against the high petroleum levy and frequent increases in fuel oil prices, causing blockades on major roads such as Shahrah-e-Faisal. On Tuesday, the Petroleum Division announced increased ex-depot fuel prices, effective from August 19. Petrol prices rose by Rs3.34 per liter, bringing the price per liter to Rs334.54, while the price of High-Speed Diesel increased by Rs5.27 per liter, raising it to Rs395.69 per liter.

The Petroleum Levy on High-Speed Diesel was raised to Rs78.28, while the levy on petrol remained unchanged at Rs80 per liter.