Fears of a petrol shortage in Pakistan began to subside on Tuesday as oil shipments began arriving at Port Qasim after fuel prices surged amid the ongoing US-Iran conflict in the Middle East.

According to Port Qasim Authority (PQA) spokesperson Asad Altaf Hussain Warsi, the vessel Torm Damini has already discharged about 37,000 metric tonnes of gas oil at Port Qasim over roughly 40 hours and is scheduled to sail tonight.

“The tanker Nave Atropos, carrying around 50,000 metric tonnes of Mogas (motor gasoline) from Singapore, arrived at Port Qasim on March 9 and is scheduled to berth on March 11. The vessel is expected to complete discharge operations within about 30 hours before sailing on March 12,” he said.

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Warsi further said that another vessel, Spruce II, carrying approximately 55,000 metric tonnes of Mogas from Sohar, Oman, was expected to arrive at the port today.

“The ship will berth after Nave Atropos and is expected to sail on March 13 following the completion of discharge operations,” he added.

He said a third tanker, Sea Clipper, carrying around 34,000 metric tonnes of Mogas from Fujairah, was scheduled to arrive on March 11. The vessel will berth after Spruce II and is expected to complete discharge operations within about 30 hours before sailing on March 14.

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Warsi said a vessel arriving from Fujairah had already reached the port, while three additional ships carrying petroleum products were expected in the coming days.

He added that one of the incoming vessels was arriving from Oman, while details of the remaining two ships would be shared once confirmed.

Warsi said the PQA was ensuring smooth handling and scheduling of all vessels to maintain uninterrupted port operations and steady fuel supplies.

The situation in the Middle East worsened after the United States and Israel attacked Iran, resulting in the killing of its Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. In retaliation, Iran launched attacks on Gulf states and closed the Strait of Hormuz, triggering a sharp rise in global crude oil prices.

To cope with the situation, the government last Friday increased petrol and diesel prices by Rs55 per litre. The sharp hike has intensified the cost-of-living pressures, with residents reporting higher transport fares and rising prices of daily-use items.