ISLAMABAD: The government announced an increase of Rs10 per litre in the price of petrol for the next fortnight, taking the price to a record Rs282 per litre. Finance Minister Ishaq Dar announced the increase late on Saturday.
In a televised address, the minister said the “rationale behind the hike in the price of petroleum products is the increase in petroleum prices in the international market and exchange rate variation”.
The minister also announced that the prices of diesel and light diesel oil would remain unchanged at Rs293 and Rs174.68, respectively. He, however, added that the price of kerosene was being increased by Rs5.78 to Rs186.07.
— Ministry of Finance (@FinMinistryPak) April 15, 2023
The minister said the new prices will be effective from 12:00 am on Sunday.
At the outset of his address, the minister said the prices of petroleum products had increased in the international market in the past 15 days.
As a result, the price of petrol has been increased to Rs282 per litre, while high-speed diesel (HSD) and light diesel oil rates will remain stable at Rs293 per litre and Rs174.68 per litre, respectively.
Earlier on March 31, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar announced that the prices of petrol and diesel will remain unchanged for the next 15 days. The federal government decided to maintain the petroleum products prices for the next 15 days.
On March 15, the government increased the prices of petrol and high-speed diesel (HSD) by Rs5 and Rs13 per litre.
جب عالمی منڈی میں تیل کی قیمت بلند ترین سطح پر تھی، تب پاکستان میں پٹرول پمپوں پر قیمت صرف 145 اور 150 روپے لیٹر تھی۔
اب عالمی منڈی میں قیمت اُس بلند سطح سے کافی کم ہے لیکن پاکستان میں قیمت 282 روپے تک جا پہنچی۔ #امپورٹڈ_حکومت_نامنظور pic.twitter.com/em28lxM4Yj— PTI (@PTIofficial) April 15, 2023
Meanwhile, Pakistan tehreek-i-Insaf rejected the hike in the petrol price, saying it would further add to the miseries of the common man already sobbing under the burden of inflation.
جب عالمی منڈی میں تیل کی قیمت بلند ترین سطح پر تھی، تب پاکستان میں پٹرول پمپوں پر قیمت صرف 145 اور 150 روپے لیٹر تھی۔
اب عالمی منڈی میں قیمت اُس بلند سطح سے کافی کم ہے لیکن پاکستان میں قیمت 282 روپے تک جا پہنچی۔
اس کی وجہ پی ڈی ایم کی تباہ کن حکمرانی ہے۔ پاکستانی روپیہ صرف ایک…— Hammad Azhar (@Hammad_Azhar) April 15, 2023
Taking to their Twitter accounts, the party leaders including Hammad Azhar said that the PTI government was providing petroleum products to the people at cheaper rates although prices in the international market were high.
