ISLAMABAD (Kashmir English): The petroleum ministry has said that the country has sufficient reserves of petrol, oil and lubricants (POL) till the third week of June.
In briefing to Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar on Monday, the ministry said after factoring in incoming shipments, sufficient stock levels are available to ensure uninterrupted availability of POL products throughout Pakistan until the third week of June 2026.
The information was conveyed to the deputy premier during a high-level meeting to review the country’s petroleum, oil, and lubricants stock position. The committee was briefed on the prevailing supply situation.
Global fuel prices have increased over the past two months as shipping through the Strait of Hormuz remains suspended since the US and Israel launched joint strikes on Iran on February 28.
The meeting was informed that the POL supplies were being continuously monitored on a daily basis by the National Coordination and Management Committee (NCMC), to “ensure effective oversight and proactive supply chain management”.
According to the DPM’s office, the meeting was attended by several cabinet ministers, alongside senior government officials from various ministries and departments.
Last Wednesday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that the country’s weekly oil bill reached $800 million due to the ongoing oil crisis arising from the Middle East crisis.
Petrol crisis
In March, the government announced austerity measures to cope with the crisis, saying it was being enforced to utilise the available reserves of oil in a “judicious manner”.
All government offices were directed to observe a four-day working week from Monday to Thursday, although this would not apply to banks.
The exemption also extended to the agriculture and industrial sectors, as well as essential services such as hospitals and ambulance services.
