A worker holds a fuel nozzle to fills fuel in a car, after the government announced the increase of petrol and diesel prices, at petrol station in Karachi, Pakistan September 16, 2023. REUTERS/Akhtar Soomro/File photo
The Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) on Tuesday rejected reports circulating on social media claiming that a summary recommending a major increase in petroleum prices had been sent to the prime minister.
In a statement, an OGRA spokesperson clarified that the authority had not sent any summary proposing an increase of Rs. 73.40 per litre in petrol and Rs. 84.95 per litre in diesel to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
The spokesperson termed the claim circulating online as “completely baseless” and urged the public to avoid relying on unverified information shared on social media platforms.
The clarification comes a day after the federal government raised the prices of petrol and high-speed diesel by Rs. 55 per litre, citing rising global oil prices amid the ongoing conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday announced a series of austerity and energy conservation measures, saying the government was responding to a global fuel crisis triggered by the regional conflict.
Speaking on the situation, the prime minister said international oil markets had reacted sharply, noting that crude oil prices had jumped from around $60 to more than $100 per barrel. Sharif also indicated that fuel prices could rise further in the coming days if global oil prices continued to increase, but assured that the government would try to minimise the burden on the public as much as possible.