Despite a steep 12% decline in international crude oil benchmarks over the past three days, Pakistani consumers continue to face heavy financial strain, receiving little to no price relief at domestic fuel stations.
Over the last 12 days alone, domestic petroleum rates have witnessed an upward surge. High-Speed Diesel (HSD) has jumped by PKR 65.08 per liter, while Motor Spirit (Petrol) has climbed by PKR 25.01 per liter.
On July 17—the day the federal authorities introduced daily pricing adjustments—diesel was selling at PKR 323.03 per liter and petrol stood at PKR 310.71 per liter. As of today, July 29, petrol prices have reached PKR 335.81 per liter, while HSD has surged to PKR 388.38 per liter.
Across this 12-day period, consumers witnessed only two minimal price adjustments for petrol—a slight drop of 35 paisas on July 21 and 1 rupee on July 27—while diesel prices experienced no downward revision at all.
While global oil prices previously saw an upward trend starting mid-July, international markets experienced a sharp correction between July 25 and July 28, dropping by up to 12%. However, local market prices have yet to reflect these reduced global import costs, leaving the public waiting for proportional price cuts.
