LAHORE (Kashmir English): Pakistan Goods Transport Alliance President Malik Shahzad Awan has announced a 20 percent increase in fares across the country after a massive increase in petroleum product prices last night.
Malik Shahzad said that during the last two months, the price of diesel has increased by Rs 78 per liter, while the price of petrol has increased by Rs 68 per litre, due to which the expenses of transporters have increased significantly.
He added that if the increase in the prices of petroleum products has been done under some compulsion, then the federal government should announce a reduction in toll tax and other taxes so that the transporters can get some relief.
He said that despite the delicate economic situation of the country, transporters are continuing their import, export, and business activities; however, the continuous increase in the prices of petroleum products affects not only transporters but every Pakistani.
Awan further added that due to the wrong policies of the federal and Punjab governments, transporters had to go on a 10-day nationwide strike in the past.
He claimed that the agreements made with Senior Minister Punjab Marriyum Aurangzeb and Minister for Transport Punjab Bilal Akbar during the last strike have not yet been implemented.
He further said that the promises made by Federal Minister for Communications Abdul Aleem Khan are also not being implemented.
The President of Pakistan Goods Transport Alliance demanded that the federal, Punjab, and Sindh governments immediately implement the agreements made with transporters; otherwise, if the policies are not reviewed, transport will be stopped across Pakistan, for which the entire responsibility will fall on the federal government.
Petrol price increased
The federal government has increased the diesel and petrol prices by Rs55 per litre starting tonight, Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik said, citing the surge in global prices due to the ongoing Iran-Israel and US military conflict.
Addressing the press conference along with Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar and Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, the petroleum minister said that the new petrol price has been fixed at Rs321.17 per litre, effective from March 7, 2026.
Similarly, diesel price, with an increase of Rs55 per litre, would now be available for Rs 335.86 per litre from 275.7.
According to the sources, government officials told the Prime Minister in a briefing today that due to the sudden rise in global prices, an increase of about Rs 110 per liter is necessary in Pakistan.
However, the Prime Minister, while giving relief to the public, instructed that the increase should be reduced and limited to about Rs 55 to 60 per liter, sources said.
Talking to the reporters, Ishaq Dar said that the new prices will come into effect from midnight.
He began by talking about the ongoing war between Iran and the US and Israel, adding that the conflict had spilled over. In this scenario, he continued, the prices of petroleum products were soaring high.
“There has been an increase of 50 per cent to 70 per cent in various products,” he noted, adding that in other countries, the trickle-down effect was visible with an automatic increase in [petroleum] prices.
