Islamabad (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News – 21 March 2026) Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Friday rejected a proposed sharp increase of Rs 76 per liter in the country. gasoline And Rs 177 per liter of diesel Prices Ahead of Eid al-Fitr, the government has decided to absorb an additional Rs 45 lakh one billion The burden of protecting citizens from additional increases amid the global oil crisis.
In his televised address to the nation, the Prime Minister said that in the past two weeks alone, the government has blocked cumulative increases of Rs 127 per liter of petrol and Rs 252 per liter of diesel by withdrawing Rs 69 billion from budgetary resources, providing one of the largest relief packages in modern history to support the poor and needy. middle Layers.
He pointed out that the price of a liter of fuel is 55 rupees price The increase at the beginning of March caused severe pressure on household budgets and basic needs.
He said last time, on March 13, oil prices on the global market rose significantly.
“In view of this global situation, I was asked to make another increase in the price of petrol. The proposal was made to increase the price of petrol by Rs 50 per liter and diesel by Rs 74 per litre, but I also rejected this proposal because I knew that the previous increase of Rs 55 per liter had already become a heavy burden on the people,” he pointed out.
The Prime Minister said that increasing petrol prices in such circumstances would have severely affected the life of the common man.
“So I decided to Federalism He pointed out that the government itself will bear the burden of about 24 billion rupees as a result of this increase in oil prices.
He said that he had limited development expenditures and made the necessary cuts so that the burden of oil prices would not fall on the shoulders of 240 million people in the four provinces, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir.
He said at this time, oil prices on the global market rose significantly. He added, “Oil, which was available at $70 a barrel a few weeks ago, has become very high in just three weeks, and if the situation continues to deteriorate, the possibility of another increase cannot be ruled out.”
“The direct burden of rapidly rising prices falls on the people of the world, as a new storm of inflation emerges.”
He said that he is well aware that the increase in oil prices of Rs. 55 per liter in early March after the fires of war broke out in the region and affected people’s lives.
He said, “Oil prices placed a heavy burden on family expenses, and many families faced severe difficulties in meeting their basic needs,” adding that he was grateful to the people for the tremendous wisdom and courage they showed and their cooperation with the government.
The Prime Minister, who began his speech by offering Eid congratulations to the people of the country, said that the blessed month of Ramadan further enriched the virtues of patience, endurance, and compassion for the pain and suffering of others.
He said that the holiday also requires human compassion, national unity and collective responsibility from us, especially at a time when the world is facing an extraordinary ordeal.
Highlighting the regional situation, he said that the ongoing war in the region has not only shaken the global economy, peace and stability, but also severely disrupted the daily lives of ordinary people.
He added, “The attacks on energy facilities in sister countries have made the situation more dangerous, and with every passing moment the fear increases that – God forbid – this crisis will worsen and last longer.”
The Prime Minister said that while the government is taking effective steps to support the people, the responsibility also lies with the elite to come forward and play their full role.
He informed that the government has begun implementing austerity measures by significantly reducing expenditures and ensuring responsible use of national resources.
Prime Minister Shehbaz said that he personally reviewed these measures on a daily basis so that national resources are used fully responsibly and savings are spent on public welfare and welfare.
He pointed out that government measures also benefited the wealthy and affluent segments of society.
He added: “I issued immediate instructions to the relevant ministries to form a comprehensive and transparent mechanism to ensure that government aid is limited to those who deserve it only.”
He urged the people of the country to do everything in their power to confront the current crisis, adopt simplicity, and become a means of providing resources to the disadvantaged classes.
He also called on God Almighty to reach a peaceful solution to the ongoing war in the region soon, to perpetuate progress, stability and prosperity in the country, and to alleviate the ordeal that the Islamic nation is going through.