Islamabad — The government slipped in another big fuel price rise on Saturday. This time it hit kerosene hard — up by Rs130.08 to Rs318.81 per litre. That works out to almost a 70 per cent jump in one go.
The Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority put out a short notification. It said the new price kicked in straight away on March 7. Before this, kerosene stood at Rs188.73 per litre since March 1.
Poor families in remote villages depend heavily on kerosene for cooking and lights. LPG cylinders don’t reach many of those places. Meanwhile petrol and diesel bring in far more money for the government — they sell 700,000 to 800,000 tonnes every month. Kerosene? Only about 10,000 tonnes.
Timing Raises Eyebrows
This came just 24 hours after the Rs55 per litre spike in petrol and high-speed diesel. And it landed hours after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb went on record saying fuel stocks looked fine and everything stayed under control.
The same day authorities also dropped talk of a national emergency plan. That plan had floated ideas like working from home and online classes to save fuel if things got worse. Now they say normal routines can carry on for at least another week.
Queues and Pump Closures Before Midnight
As word spread about the midnight deadline, drivers rushed to petrol stations across cities. Long lines formed everywhere. People wanted to fill up at the old rates. In several spots stations pulled down shutters early. Many believed owners closed to skip selling cheap fuel before the hike hit.
The back-to-back increases sting ordinary households the most. Rural areas that rely on kerosene now face a much steeper bill for everyday basics.
