Diesel up Rs1.91 a litre, petrol held for October 24-26

Diesel will cost Rs1.91 more per litre while petrol prices stay where they were under a fuel price notification covering October 24 to 26, Profit by Pakistan Today reported. The change feeds directly into freight, irrigation and public transport costs, which is why a per-litre move of less than two rupees is felt well beyond the petrol pump.

Profit by Pakistan Today reported the diesel increase at Rs1.91 per litre and said petrol was unchanged for the three-day period. Its report did not give the new retail price of diesel or the prevailing price of petrol per litre.

Dunya News also carried the announcement as a news bulletin, but the headline and summary it published did not state the rates, and the fuller bulletin was not available to this newspaper. Neither outlet attributed the decision to a named official, ministry or regulator in the material available, and neither explained why the notification covers three days rather than the usual longer window.

Fuel prices in Pakistan are set by the federal government, on the recommendation of the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority, and are normally announced for a longer review period. Nothing in the reports available said whether the October 24-26 window is a shortened notification or what drove the diesel increase.

Diesel is the main fuel for heavy goods vehicles, for tube wells used in irrigation and for some electricity generation, so a per-litre increase tends to surface in transport charges and, eventually, in food prices. Petrol is the main fuel for cars and motorcycles, and holding its price steady keeps the change confined, for now, to diesel users.

Skardu Times could not independently verify the new rates. The figures reported here are as carried by Profit by Pakistan Today, and readers should treat the exact pump prices as unconfirmed until the notification itself is available.