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Govt hikes petrol, diesel prices by Rs27 per litre | The Express Tribune
A worker holds a fuel nozzle to fills fuel in a car at petrol station in Karachi on September 16, 2023. Photo: REUTERS/ File
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday jacked up prices of both high-speed diesel (HSD) and petrol by Rs26.77 per litre despite no increase being required in the rates of petrol.
The premier imposed a nearly Rs27 per litre additional tax on the fuel to push its price higher.
Accordingly, the HSD price has been fixed at Rs380.19 per litre, up from Rs353.42 per litre. This marks a 7.5% increase. Diesel prices are still significantly lower than their peak of Rs520.4 on April 10. Diesel is considered the most inflationary fuel due to its widespread use in freight transportation and the agriculture sector.
The prime minister approved an increase in petrol prices to Rs393.35 per litre, up from Rs366.6. This shows an increase of 7.3% over the existing prices. Petroleum Division officials said that there was no change in the petrol prices in the international market and the rates had to be jacked up due to an increase in the tax.
Read: PM Shehbaz approves Rs32.12 per litre cut in high-speed diesel price
The finance ministry spokesman was not available for comments. However, Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik said in a statement that oil prices were increasing once again in the global market due to regional tensions.
“Due to the pressure of rising oil prices and agreements with global partners, the government is having to take steps to transfer the burden of increasing oil prices.
“In view of these circumstances, the price of diesel is being increased by Rs 26.77 and the price of petrol by Rs 26.77 for the next week. As much as possible, the government tolerated the increase in the prices of petroleum products at the global level,” the minister said, adding that all provincial governments, including the federal government, gave a “historic relief package” to the people.
“I pray that progress is made soon in achieving regional peace and relief can be provided to the people in the prices of petroleum products.”
حکومت نے پیٹرولیم مصنوعات کی عالمی سطح پر قیمتوں میں اضافے کو ہر ممکن حد تک برداشت کیا، وزیر پٹرولیم pic.twitter.com/P7qDG32ReY
— PTV News (@PTVNewsOfficial) April 24, 2026
The new petroleum levy rate on petrol has been fixed at Rs107.4 per litre, as PM Shehbaz again chose to recover the tax meant to be recovered from diesel consumers from petrol consumers — a policy that he had earlier implemented and then reversed after public backlash.
Last month, the prime minister increased the petroleum levy rate on petrol to a record Rs160 per litre in the middle of skyrocketing prices. Later on, the premier took the credit for reducing the tax to Rs80.
Sources said that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has asked the government to charge Rs80 per litre tax on diesel and petrol. Instead of introducing a petroleum levy on high-speed diesel, PM Shehbaz, in the first step, increased the tax on petrol to Rs107.4 per litre.
There is still a requirement by the IMF to further increase the tax by Rs53 per litre. Sources said that the government would take the decision next week whether the remaining Rs53 per litre tax should be recovered from diesel or petrol users.
The ministry sources said that the government had already collected little over Rs1.2 trillion in petroleum levy during the first nine months of the fiscal year, equal to 82% of the annual target of Rs1.468 trillion.
Yet, the government has chosen to further increase the burden on petrol consumers, mostly poor motorcycle owners, and car owners belonging to the low middle income to the highest income groups.
The government is trying to appease the users of diesels, but may end up irritating both diesel and petrol consumers, as prices are still on the rise for both categories.
Also Read: POL prices slashed amid global fuel ease
The government had earlier slashed the federal development budget by 17% or Rs173 billion to offset the impact of the reduction in petroleum levy on diesel and partially subsidise the commodity.
The government is currently collecting about Rs36 per litre tax on diesel, including Rs33 in customs duty and Rs2.5 as climate support levy. Total taxes on petrol amount to Rs134 per litre, including Rs107 petroleum levy, Rs24 customs duty and Rs2.5 climate support levy.
As per the understanding with the IMF, the climate support levy would be further increased by Rs2.5 per litre on both the products, reaching Rs5 per litre from July 1st.
Government functionaries have remained unable to convince the IMF to relax punitive conditions even during wartime. The demand to further increase the petroleum levy rates and the climate support levy shows the lack of convincing power of the negotiators.
The IMF is expected to approve the fourth loan tranche and the third review of the $7b bailout package in the first week of May.
Due to a reduction in global prices, superior kerosene oil and light diesel oil have been reduced. Kerosene oil prices have been reduced from Rs429 per litre to Rs365 per litre. There is a reduction of Rs63.6 per litre in kerosene oil price. The government is charging Rs20.4 per litre on the petroleum levy.
Light diesel oil prices have been reduced from Rs299 to Rs270 per litre — a reduction of Rs29 per litre. The price is inclusive of Rs15.8 per litre petroleum levy.
Business
Clock ticks on Spirit Airlines as bondholders weigh Trump bailout. Here’s what could happen next
Spirit Airlines‘ future is hanging in the balance over the next week as President Donald Trump said the government could bail out the airline, as the struggling discount carrier‘s lenders assess a potential deal.
“We’re thinking about doing it, helping them out, meaning bailing them out, or buying it,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Thursday.
“I’d love to be able to save those jobs. I’d love to be able to save an airline. I like having a lot of airlines, so it’s competitive,” Trump said.
The White House and major bondholders either didn’t immediately comment or declined to comment on the matter.
Trump told reporters that “when the price of oil goes down,” the government could “sell [Spirit] for a profit.”
Spirit expected to emerge from bankruptcy midyear, but that was before the U.S.-Israel attacks on Iran led to a surge in jet fuel costs. Spirit had a nearly $28.3 million operating loss in February, according to a court filing, which was before the fuel price spike hit carriers — and travelers’ wallets.
Spirit, the iconic budget carrier known for its bright yellow planes and bare-bones service that became a punchline for late-night comedians, has struggled to survive. The industry’s costs ballooned after Covid, as customer tastes changed for more upmarket offerings and international destinations.
Spirit has aggressively axed its costs, selling aircraft and shrinking its network. Last May, Spirit operated 19,575 flights, according to aviation data-firm Cirium. This May, it’s operating 9,353.
A planned acquisition of Spirit by JetBlue Airways was successfully challenged by the Biden administration, which the Trump administration said hurt Spirit.
“Spirit Airlines would be on a much firmer financial footing had the Biden administration not recklessly blocked the airline’s merger with JetBlue,” a White House spokesman said by email. “The Trump administration continues to monitor the situation and overall health of the U.S. aviation industry that millions of Americans rely on every day for essential travel and their livelihoods.”
Will others follow suit?
Some industry members and analysts have suggested other airlines, especially low-cost carriers, could seek similar assistance from the government.
Low-cost airlines met with Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy earlier this week to discuss the current surge in fuel costs, people familiar with the matter told CNBC.
The Trump administration has taken stakes in companies it views as a national security interest, while companies from automakers to banks to the airline industry as a whole have received bailouts in the past, but it’s highly unusual that the government would rescue a single company.
Delta Air Lines and United Airlines account for most of the airline industry’s profit in the U.S., spending years and billions of dollars to successfully court a less price sensitive clientele that is willing to pay up for roomier seats and other perks, as well as broad international networks. Many other carriers, including Spirit, have tried to catch up in recent years.
“We wonder if a potential Spirit deal could become a facility of last resort that other challenged carriers could seek in the future,” Barclays analyst Brandon Brandon Oglenski said in a note Thursday.
Possible deal
The terms of a tentative deal are for a $500 million loan that could eventually give the government a 90% stake in the Florida-based carrier, people familiar with the matter told CNBC. The potential plan would also put the government ahead of other investors, the people said, requesting anonymity to talk about the terms.
A U.S. bankruptcy court hearing to discuss the possible deal could be set for as early as Monday, according to comments in court on Thursday.
Mike Stamer, an Akin attorney who represents bondholders in the bankruptcy case, confirmed in court Thursday that “we did, in fact, receive a copy of the term sheet” for the potential deal with a loan from the U.S. government, a sign of how advanced the talks are.
The deal would also allow the U.S. government to select a board member, a person familiar with the potential terms told CNBC.
Spirit’s labor unions are also pushing for a deal.
“Any assertion that Spirit should just liquidate is only going to harm workers, passengers, and further strain our economy,” the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA said Thursday. “It’s unnecessary and mean spirited — when just a little help can stave off massive harm.”
Spirit’s lawyer, Marshall Huebner of Davis Polk, said in bankruptcy court Thursday that the loan would help Spirit get to “standalone fighting shape” but could also set it up for a potential merger.
Acquisition talks have failed before, however, most recently, with Frontier Airlines, which originally planned to merge with Spirit until a surprise all-cash offer by JetBlue.
Spirit’s challenges might also not go away, said Conor Cunningham, Melius Research airline analyst.
“How deep does he want to go?” he said of Trump and the possible rescue deal. “$500 million is probably not enough.”
The federal government announced a Rs26.77 per litre hike in the price of petrol and high-speed diesel each on Friday, according to a notification issued by the Petroleum Division.
The new prices will be effective from April 25, 2026 for a week, the notification stated.
Following the increase, the price of HSD has jumped from Rs353.42 to Rs380.19, while the petrol price now stands at Rs393.35.
The government has been reviewing petroleum prices every Friday night following the now-paused US-Israel war on Iran, which began on February 28.
In the previous weekly review, the prime minister announced a reduction of Rs32.12 per litre in the price of high-speed diesel, while the petrol price remained unchanged.
The government jacked up petrol and diesel prices despite oil prices falling globally on Friday after it appeared a second round of Middle East talks was back on, bolstering prospects for an end to a war that has crippled energy shipments from the Gulf.
Oil prices had been climbing earlier as investors worried about a lack of progress in ending the Middle East crisis, with Tehran keeping the Strait of Hormuz closed and the US maintaining a blockade of Iranian ports.
But they dropped on reports that Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi was to arrive in Islamabad on Friday night.
Brent crude, the international benchmark contract, fell back below $100 a barrel.
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The FTSE 100 ended the week on the back foot as the crisis in the Middle East remained deadlocked.
The FTSE 100 closed down 77.93 points, 0.8%, at 10,379.08. The FTSE 250 ended down 181.71 points, 0.8%, at 22,582.81, while the AIM All-Share fell 5.73 points, 0.7%, to 796.40.
For the week, the FTSE 100 fell 2.7%, the FTSE 250 also declined 2.7% and the AIM All-Share dipped 1.7%.
The oil price continued to tick higher amid few signs of a breakthrough in the Middle East crisis.
AFP reported that Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi is expected to arrive in Islamabad on Friday night, citing an official source in Pakistan, without providing details about who he was likely to meet.
The Pakistan capital has been gearing up for an anticipated second round of talks between the US and Iran, but it was not clear whether Mr Araghchi and the delegation accompanying him would meet any US officials to discuss the Middle East war.
The BBC reported that the suggestion coming from Iran is that these are bilateral talks with Pakistan, not meeting the US.
Writing on X, Mr Araghchi said his trip to Islamabad is to “closely co-ordinate with our partners on bilateral matters and consult on regional developments”.
US defence secretary Pete Hegseth said Iran has a chance to “make a good, wise deal”, adding that the US naval blockade of Iranian ports “is growing and going global”.
Mr Hegseth said the US is not “anxious” to make a deal, and “the ball is in [Iran’s] court”.
Brent oil traded at 105.78 dollars a barrel on Friday afternoon, compared with 103.25 dollars at the time of the equities close in London on Thursday.
In European equities on Friday, the CAC 40 in Paris ended down 0.8%, and the DAX 40 in Frankfurt ended 0.1% lower.
The mood was brighter in the US. In New York, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 0.4%, but the S&P 500 was 0.5% higher and the Nasdaq Composite 1.2% to the good.
David Morrison, senior market analyst at Trade Nation, explained the war in the Gulf is hitting Europe and the UK harder than the US.
“The former are reliant on imported energy in a way the US isn’t. While the US still must deal with higher crude oil prices, it has few worries over supplies drying up,” he pointed out.
On Wall Street, Intel was the star of the show soaring 23% after better-than-expected first quarter results and guidance, reporting “unprecedented” demand for its chips.
The yield on the US 10-year Treasury stretched to 4.32% on Friday from 4.29% on Thursday. The yield on the US 30-year Treasury widened to 4.92% from 4.89%.
The pound eased to 1.3497 dollars on Friday afternoon from 1.3500 dollars on Thursday. Against the euro, sterling fell to 1.1532 euros from 1.1551 euros.
In the UK, retail sales increased faster than expected in March as fuel sales soared 6.1% amid surging oil prices.
According to the Office for National Statistics, the volume of retail sales rose by 0.7% in March, against market consensus for no growth.
Total retail sales, excluding automotive fuel, rose by 0.2% on-month, in line with FXStreet-cited expectations.
Danni Hewson, AJ Bell head of financial analysis, explained the figures show rising petrol and diesel prices are “eating into household budgets”.
“People can only spend a pound once and if they’re choosing to shell out more than normal on fuel, they’ll have less to spend on other purchases,” she explained.
A separate report showed UK firms think food inflation could jump as high as 7% this year.
According to a Bank of England survey the Middle East conflict has “eroded” confidence that the UK economy will improve later this year.
The Decision Maker Panel survey showed that firms expected to increase their prices by 3.8% over the next 12 months, according to data for the three months to April.
This is 0.3 percentage points higher than predicted over the three months to March.
Meanwhile, the Bank of England’s deputy governor, Sarah Breeden, told the BBC on Friday the the UK central bank expects stock markets around the world to fall as share prices do not reflect the many risks facing the global economy.
Ms Breeden, who is also the Bank’s head of financial stability, said: “There’s a lot of risk out there and yet asset prices are at all-time highs. We expect there will be an adjustment at some point.”
The euro traded lower against the greenback, falling to 1.1703 dollars on Friday from 1.1708 dollars on Thursday. Against the yen, the dollar was trading at 159.55 yen, from 159.50 yen.
On the FTSE 100, packaging firm Mondi slumped 11% as it missed profit forecasts in the first quarter.
The Weybridge-based packaging firm on Friday said underlying earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation, including forestry fair value, fell 27% to 212 million euros for the first quarter that ended March 31, from 290 million euros a year earlier.
JD Sports Fashion fell 1.9% as the Financial Times said a boardroom rift sparked the departure of chairman Andrew Higginson this week.
The FT reported that Mr Higginson quit as chairman of JD Sports after pushing for chief executive Regis Schultz to be ousted and failing to win unanimous backing for the move.
But JD Sports told Alliance News that Mr Schultz has the “continued support” of its board.
A JD Group spokesperson said: “It was mutually agreed between Andy and the board that this is the right time for a change of chair; there has been no disagreement about the board’s continued support for the CEO. The board is grateful for the valuable role that Andy has played during his tenure at the business.”
Airlines headed south amid the higher oil price and fears over jet fuel supplies.
Wizz Air fell 6.0%, easyJet 2.3% and British Airways owner IAG 1.4%.
Gold traded at 4,718.34 dollars an ounce on Friday, down from 4,731.39 dollars at the same time on Thursday.
The biggest risers on the FTSE 100 were British American Tobacco, up 96.00p at 4,302.00p, Intercontinental Hotels Group, up 3.10p at 146.00p, London Stock Exchange Group, up 180.00p at 9,992.00p, Sage Group, up 14.60p at 902.80p and Marks & Spencer, up 5.35p at 347.00p.
The biggest fallers on the FTSE 100 were Mondi, down 93.60p at 748.20p, Babcock International, down 54.50p at 1,131.50p, Antofagasta, down 145.00p at 3,686.00p, AstraZeneca, down 536.00p at 13,956.00p and JD Sports Fashion, down 2.12p at 69.94p.
Monday’s global economic calendar has German consumer confidence data. Later in the week, interest rate decisions are due in the US, Europe, UK and Japan. Inflation prints will be released in Australia and for the euro area.
Next week’s local corporate calendar sees first quarter results from oil majors BP and Shell, pharmaceutical firms GSK and AstraZeneca and banks Barclays, NatWest and Lloyds.
Contributed by Alliance News
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