Lahore (Urdu Point Network, March 21, 2026) Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has once again decided not to increase oil prices. Prices Despite the sharp rise in global oil prices, he said the government cannot put an additional burden on the people, especially before Eid al-Fitr.
Addressing the nation on Friday evening, the Prime Minister said that the ongoing war in the region has made the global oil situation very worrying, with crude oil prices in the Gulf rising from 72 to 72. dollar per barrel a few weeks ago to $158 per barrel in just three weeks. He warned that if the situation continues to deteriorate, further increases in global oil prices cannot be ruled out.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that the sharp rise in global oil prices is causing a new wave of inflation across the world and is directly affecting ordinary citizens. He admitted that the previous increase of Rs 55 per liter in oil prices at the beginning of March had already put enormous pressure on household budgets and caused serious hardship to many families.
The Prime Minister said that after the increase in global oil prices on March 13, he rejected a proposal to raise them gasoline Prices are at Rs 50 per liter and diesel at Rs 74 per litre. Instead, he said Federalism The government absorbed the burden by about Rs 24 lakh one billion By making budget cuts and reducing development expenditures so that no further burdens are placed on the people of the four provinces, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
He further said that during the current week, the international market witnessed another sharp jump in oil prices and advised an increase in petrol by Rs 76 per liter and diesel by Rs 177 per litre. However, in view of the difficult economic conditions and the approaching Eid al-Fitr, he again rejected the proposal and decided that the federal government should bear an additional burden of about 45 billion rupees next week.
The Prime Minister said that protecting the disadvantaged sections of society and protecting them from the crushing impact of rising prices remains the government’s top priority. He noted that over the past two weeks, the federal government has spent Rs79 billion from its budget and development allocations to prevent a cumulative increase of Rs127 per liter in petrol and Rs252 per liter in diesel prices, calling it the largest such intervention in modern history.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif acknowledged that this is not a permanent solution and said that the government is working on putting in place a comprehensive and transparent mechanism to ensure relief measures reach only those who deserve them. He said that the relevant ministries have been directed to develop a system to prevent the rich sectors from benefiting equally from the relief allocated to the poor and needy. middle season.
The Prime Minister called for national unity and self-restraint, urging citizens to embrace simplicity, avoid unnecessary expenditures, and support efforts to ease the burden on the weaker segments of society. He said that the government has already launched an austerity campaign at the official level, and added that he personally monitors these measures daily to ensure the responsible use of national resources.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also expressed his hope that the ongoing regional conflict would be resolved peacefully as soon as possible and prayed for it. PakistanIts progress, stability and prosperity, as well as providing relief to the Islamic nation in the face of current challenges.