PM Shebaz directs petroleum minister to Karachi over fuel prices

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has instructed Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik to immediately travel to Karachi and take swift action to alleviate fuel price concerns for the public. This directive emerged from a meeting attended by the Prime Minister, the Petroleum Minister, Attaullah Tarar, Ahad Khan Cheema, Musadik Malik, and Hamza Shehbaz.

The Prime Minister emphasized that the minister should personally visit Karachi and negotiate with local refineries to reduce diesel prices. The majority of diesel production occurs in local refineries, and the Premier urged the minister to secure immediate relief for the public through immediate negotiations. The Jamaat-e-Islami had recently organized citywide protests in Karachi against the high petroleum levy and frequent hikes in fuel prices, which led to road blockages on Shahrah-e-Faisal and other routes.

On Tuesday, the Petroleum Division announced a revision in ex-depot fuel prices, with petrol increasing by Rs3.34 per litre, taking the price to Rs334.54 per litre, and High-Speed Diesel (HSD) rising by Rs5.27 per litre, now priced at Rs395.69 per litre. Additionally, the Petroleum Levy on HSD was raised to Rs78.28, while the levy on petrol remained at Rs80 per litre.