Diesel Crosses Rs400 as Petrol Stays at Rs377.91
The government has raised the price of high-speed diesel by Re0.85 per litre, taking it past Rs400 for the first time in this daily pricing round. Diesel crosses Rs400 to Rs400.67 a litre from Friday, October 30. Petrol stays unchanged at Rs377.91 a litre. The Petroleum Division issued the revision on Thursday, October 29, and the new rates apply for October 30.
Why diesel crosses Rs400 matters for transport
Diesel is the fuel of heavy transport. Trucks, buses, power plants and large generators run on it, so a rise in its price feeds into freight and travel costs. Petrol is used mainly in private cars, small vehicles, rickshaws and two-wheelers. Goods transporters, public transport operators and farmers who depend on diesel will feel this increase first. It comes a day after a larger increase in both fuels.
Two rises in two days
For October 29, petrol rose by Rs1.85 a litre and diesel rose by Rs1.75 a litre. That left petrol at Rs377.91 and diesel at Rs399.82. The latest revision adds Re0.85 to diesel alone. Petrol therefore holds at Rs377.91 for a second day, while diesel moves to Rs400.67. Local refineries still meet only part of demand: Senate figures put daily petrol production at 7,035 tonnes against sales of 21,583 tonnes, which leaves imports to cover the gap.
| Fuel | October 29 rate | October 30 rate | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Petrol | Rs377.91 | Rs377.91 | No change |
| High-speed diesel | Rs399.82 | Rs400.67 | Up Re0.85 |
The Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority said the adjustment followed global developments. It pointed to changes in Platts benchmark rates, premiums and incidental costs. Platts rates are the international price markers used to work out import costs. When those markers move, local ex-depot prices move with them.
How daily fuel pricing works
Fuel prices in Pakistan are now fixed on a daily basis. Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik announced the change on July 17, 2026. He said international market prices were moving fast after renewed hostilities between Iran and the United States. The cabinet and the prime minister then gave the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority the job of setting prices each day. The authority uses a seven-day average of international market rates, in line with international practice. Before July, prices were announced each week. The daily system means small changes, like this Re0.85 rise, can land overnight.
Taxes and duties remain heavy. The government levies Rs114 per litre in taxes and duties on petrol and Rs100 per litre on diesel. ## The levy debate behind the price board
The price rise lands in the middle of a debate over the petroleum levy. On Tuesday, Jamaat-i-Islami chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Islamabad. He pressed for relief for the public by abolishing the levy. The two sides agreed to form a joint committee of the party and the government. That committee will look at expanding the fuel relief scheme already in place since September 17. The scheme covers owners of motorcycles, rickshaws and vehicles of up to 800cc. Rehman said his party would march to Islamabad in mid-November if the government did not announce major relief by then.
Supply concerns have also surfaced. On Friday, the Pakistan Petroleum Dealers Association urged consumers not to resort to panic buying. It said excessive purchases could create market distortions. The country’s largest fuel retailer, Pakistan State Oil, has also reported sharply higher quarterly profits, which shows how much volume is moving through the fuel chain. On the same day, senators raised concerns over fuel supply in the house. Minister of State for Finance and Revenue Bilal Azhar Kayani told them there were no supply issues. The government has also reintroduced austerity measures linked to rising fuel prices. Markets must close by 9pm, and fuel allocations for official vehicles have been cut by 50 per cent for three months.
