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Pakistan moves to curb fuel use on supply concerns

  • Mercados: Crude oil, Oil products
  • 10/03/26

Pakistan has announced a series of measures to cut transport fuel use, including a shorter workweek, remote work and school closures, days after it raised petrol and diesel prices in response to surging global oil prices.

Offices will shift to a four-day workweek, and half of all public and private sector staff, excluding essential services, will work remotely, prime minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif said on Monday, according to state-owned news agency APP. Schools will close for two weeks, while higher education institutions will shift to online classes immediately, Sharif added. The package also includes cuts to government fuel use, with part of the official vehicle fleet to be grounded, along with temporary salary cuts for senior officials.

The measures come after Pakistan on Friday raised retail gasoline and diesel prices by 55 rupee/litre (20¢/litre), or about 20pc, citing higher global oil prices linked to the US-Iran war and concerns over possible supply disruptions, a move that triggered long queues at fuel stations, according to local sources.

Sharif said crude prices had risen from about $60/bl a few days earlier to more than $100/bl and warned they could rise further if the situation deteriorates, adding that Pakistan's economy, agriculture and transport sector rely heavily on oil and gas supplies from the Mideast Gulf. Global crude prices surged by more than 30pc to near $120/bl on Monday in one of the biggest single-day moves on record.

Pakistan sources at least 60pc of its gasoline from the Mideast Gulf, mainly the UAE, though soaring tanker rates are making cargoes harder and costlier to secure. Rates for moving a 35,000t gasoline cargo from Fujairah to Pakistan have climbed to around $1.2mn-$1.5mn from about $400,000 before the war.

Pakistan's transport fuel consumption rose by 4pc year on year to 7.52mn t in July-December period, with road transport fuel use up by 4.5pc at 7.29mn t, according to Oil Companies Advisory Council data. Domestic gasoline sales increased by 2.5pc to 3.85mn t, while diesel sales were up 3.5pc at 3.57mn t, according to latest data from Pakistan's Oil Companies Advisory Council (OCAC).


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