Pakistan hikes price of petrol by PKR 6.39, diesel by PKR 7.83
Islamabad, July 23 (IANS/WISHAVWARTA) The Pakistan government has raised the price of petrol by Pakistani Rupees (PKR) 6.39 while high-speed diesel (HSD) has been hiked by PKR 7.83 litre.
After the latest decision, the petrol price in Pakistan now rises to PKR 327.12 per litre while HSD price stood at PKR 375.04. The new prices will be applicable on Thursday (July 23), according to the Pakistan Petroleum Division’s notification, leading Pakistani daily Dawn reported.
On July 17, Pakistan’s government announced the plans to revise fuel prices on a daily basis instead of the weekly system that remained in effect in the recent months.
Pakistan’s Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik and Information Minister Atta Tarar announced that the government has implemented a daily pricing mechanism, adding that the changing rates would be published by the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) on its website.
He stated that the Ogra would decide price of fuel on a daily basis on the basis of international market trends. He said that daily price announcement would be based on a seven-day weekly average of international market prices. He added that fuel price in Pakistan will be adjusted as per the international market trends without requiring approval from him, the information minister “or anyone else”, Dawn reported.
Last week, public transport fares and freight charges were increased in Islamabad and Rawalpindi and a nationwide strike threat was issued by the petrol pump operators after the Pakistan federal government’s policy of frequent revisions in fuel prices.
After the Pakistan government raised prices of petrol and diesel on July 17, transport operators in Rawalpindi and Islamabad revised fares with immediate effect. Public transport fares were increased by 15 to 17 per cent, while goods transport operators increased freight charges by 20 per cent. Transport associations have said that fares will now be adjusted whenever fuel prices are revised, Pakistan-based another daily The Express Tribune reported.
Pick and drop service for office workers and students had announced that their charges will change as per the change in petrol and diesel prices. The minimum stop-to-stop fare on public transport in Rawalpindi and Islamabad has been raised to PKR 60.
Long-haul transporters have increased their tariffs, with the freight charge for container, trailer and wheeler transport between Karachi and Peshawar reportedly increasing to PKR 800,000
According to transport operators, inter-city fares in Rawalpindi district was increased by 15 per cent, fares on intra-district routes were raised by 17 per cent, while services operating between Rawalpindi and Islamabad were increased fares by 20 per cent. Long-distance transport operators increased fares by 17 per cent.
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