Pakistan raises diesel price by Rs1.91 to Rs393.66, keeps petrol unchanged at Rs377.71

New rates: Diesel at Rs393.66/litre, petrol steady at Rs377.71/litre

Global oil: Brent crude hits a five-month high

Daily price mechanism continues

The federal government announced fresh fuel prices on Friday evening, raising the price of high-speed diesel by Rs1.91 per litre while leaving petrol untouched. The Petroleum Division’s notification, issued on the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority’s advice, sets the new rates to run from Saturday, October 24, through Monday, October 26.

Diesel now costs Rs393.66 per litre, up from Rs391.75. Petrol stays where it has been for the last three days — Rs377.71 per litre.

Back-to-back diesel increases

The hike is the second straight daily rise for diesel. Thursday’s notification had cut petrol by Rs1.60 and pushed diesel up Rs1.64 for October 23. Friday’s announcement leaves petrol holders unaffected but takes diesel higher still.

Taxes and duties stay put at Rs114 per litre on petrol and Rs100 per litre on diesel, OGRA said. The authority attributed the change to global developments — movements in Platts rates, premiums and incidental costs.

World oil prices climb

On Friday, Brent crude rose $1.40 a barrel to $114.57, its highest level in more than five months. Market analysts link the surge to concerns over energy supply disruption after Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia intensified this week.

Diesel is the fuel of heavy transport, farmers and large generators, so its rising cost puts fresh pressure on freight, food logistics and backup power — the kind of pressure that shows up in shop prices within weeks.

Dealers object, government defends

The All Pakistan Dealers Association and the Transport Goods Association have already rejected the daily pricing mechanism, which replaced the weekly system on July 17. Jamaat-e-Islami, protesting since August against the petroleum levy, has suspended its long march only pending a meeting with the prime minister — a meeting the party says it expects this week.

The government, for its part, points to its fuel relief scheme announced September 13: a Rs100-per-litre subsidy for motorcycles, three-wheeled rickshaws and cars with engines up to 800cc, with registration open through SMS. It has also revived austerity measures — markets to close by 9pm, marriage halls by 10pm, and a 50 per cent cut in official vehicles’ fuel allocations for three months.