Afghanistan, April 3 -- Pakistan on Thursday sharply increased petrol and diesel prices for the second time in less than a month, as the war in the Middle East and surging global oil prices continue to hit import-dependent economies. The new rise is expected to deepen inflationary pressure on households and businesses already struggling with high living costs.
Under the revised rates, diesel jumped nearly 55% to about 520 rupees per litre, while petrol rose more than 42% to around 458 rupees per litre. Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik said the increase was unavoidable, blaming an international oil market that had "gone out of control" after the U.S.-Iran war.
This follows an earlier fuel increase of around 20% last month, meaning tran...