Pakistan Middle East Peace Efforts Continue, PM Says
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif told the federal cabinet on Wednesday that Pakistan’s Middle East peace efforts continue as before, despite rising global oil prices linked to instability in the region. He spoke in Islamabad at a meeting of the cabinet, where he also set out decisions on fuel prices, gas supplies and a development package for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The prime minister said global oil prices had “skyrocketed” because of the instability. He added that Pakistan was still playing its part in work to restore peace, and he pointed to recent engagements with Tehran and other regional actors. Dawn reported that he also referred to engagements under the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement.
Pakistan’s Middle East peace efforts
The cabinet address came as Pakistan keeps up a busy round of regional diplomacy. Tribune reported that Pakistani delegations had visited Tehran twice in the past two to three weeks as part of efforts to address the regional crisis. A separate report described a meeting in Tehran between the leadership of countries party to the Makkah Defence Agreement and the Iranian leadership as cordial and positive, with Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi taking part alongside the leadership of Turkiye and Saudi Arabia.
For households in Pakistan, the diplomacy matters because regional instability feeds straight into fuel and energy costs. The prime minister made that link himself, tying the push for peace to the pressure on global oil prices.
Planned Rs15 fuel hike averted
On fuel prices, the prime minister said the government had planned to raise prices by Rs15 on Friday. That increase will not fall on consumers, he said, because Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik had talked to the refineries about bearing the burden from their windfall profits.
“We will not let a common man bear this burden,” the prime minister said.
The move follows weeks of pressure on the fuel pricing system. Feature Pakistan reported on the refinery sector’s objections to the revised pricing formula in Refineries push back on petrol levy differential, and on the wider audit of fuel pricing in Refinery audit puts fuel prices under scrutiny. The cabinet discussion shows the government now trying to shield retail prices while it settles the formula dispute with the industry.
Fuel subsidy scheme runs till December
The prime minister also gave an update on the fuel subsidy scheme launched in September. He said the scheme will run till the end of December, and that Rs28 billion has been spent so far. He described the scheme as running “successfully and transparently”, and said the Intelligence Bureau continued to monitor it.
The update matters for low-income motorists, who have faced repeated price shocks since the regional conflict pushed energy costs higher. A scheme that runs to December gives those households a clear end date.
LPG overhaul and winter gas supplies
On liquefied petroleum gas, the prime minister said the “era of LPG mafia” was over and that supplies were now being arranged transparently. He said that when LPG is imported, competition will be promoted, it will be auctioned in lots, and the government will take the profits and subsidise the fuel for the common man.
Pakistan needs around 7,000 tonnes of LPG a day, of which about 2,500 tonnes are produced at home, according to figures shared at the meeting. That gap explains why imports, and the way they are auctioned, matter so much for kitchen budgets. With winter approaching, households will also watch the gas schedules already announced for the cold months, including the SSGC winter gas schedule for Sindh and Balochistan and the SNGPL winter gas timings for Islamabad, Punjab and KP.
Rs160bn package and security first in KP
The prime minister said the federal government had finalised a proposed Rs160 billion package for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He put security at the top of the agenda for the province, saying: “Security is our number one, two and three priority in KP.”
Counterterrorism efforts continue in the province, he said, and he added that with the efforts of law enforcement agencies, the new government in KP and the support of the federal government, the state will “crush the head of terrorism”. The remarks follow the recent high-level review of the province, where leaders agreed to expand intelligence-based operations, as reported in Fazl warns of street agitation over KP policies and related coverage of the KP situation.
Dawn noted that further details from the cabinet meeting were to follow, so the address should be read as a developing account rather than a final record. The decisions announced so far, however, give a clear picture: peace diplomacy abroad, price protection at home, and a security-led package for KP.
Frequently asked questions
What did PM Shehbaz say about Middle East peace?
He told the federal cabinet that Pakistan’s Middle East peace efforts continue as before, and he pointed to recent engagements with Tehran and other regional actors, as well as engagements under the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement.
Was the planned Rs15 fuel price hike imposed?
No. The prime minister said the government had planned a Rs15 increase on Friday, but the refineries agreed to bear the burden from their windfall profits, so consumers would not face it.
How much has the fuel subsidy scheme spent so far?
The prime minister said Rs28 billion has been spent so far under the fuel subsidy scheme launched in September, which will run till the end of December.
What changes did the prime minister announce for LPG?
He said the “era of LPG mafia” was over. Imported LPG will now face competition, be auctioned in lots, and the government will use the profits to subsidise the fuel for the common man.
What is the KP package worth?
The federal government has finalised a proposed Rs160 billion package for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, with security described as the first, second and third priority for the province.
Is the cabinet account final?
No. Dawn noted that further details were to follow, so additional decisions from the meeting may still emerge.
