Business Desk 
Mar 13, 2026
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday announced that the government will keep petroleum prices unchanged despite surge in global oil rates.
The premier said the move aimed to ease financial burden on citizens and the government itself will bear the burden of price increases.
The statement comes as the federal government was scheduled to review the fuel prices on March 13 (today).
Earlier on March 6, the federal government had surprisingly increased petrol and diesel prices by Rs55 per litre each in line with the surging global oil prices, fuelled by the US Israel war with Iran, put pressure on domestic energy costs.
At the time, Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik said: "We will review these prices on a weekly basis", adding that the government would reduce prices promptly once the situation improved. "There is no doubt that we are going through extraordinary circumstances today," said Malik.
On Monday, the premier said the entire region had been gripped by conflict and stressed that Pakistan was pursuing diplomatic efforts to help defuse the crisis. The PM urged the nation to demonstrate unity and responsibility in dealing with the crisis. “Our nation needs unity and a strong sense of responsibility,” he said.
