Pakistan’s government has lowered fuel prices with effect from today, Wednesday 4 November, and announced a package of reforms for liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). Under the notification issued by the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra), petrol now retails at Rs369.06 per litre after a cut of Rs5.45, while high-speed diesel (HSD) costs Rs391.52 per litre after a cut of Rs3.68. Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik announced the changes at a press conference alongside Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, saying the prime minister had directed maximum relief for low-income groups and that any future fall in international petroleum prices would be passed on to consumers.
Pakistan meets around 70% of its fuel needs through imports, and importing companies will now have to publish their prices and cost details online.
The LPG change is the larger reform. The government plans to scrap quota-based distribution and replace it with competitive auctions: locally produced LPG sold in transparent five-to-ten-tonne lots to Ogra-licensed companies, with results made public. State firms must arrange bulk supplies and private firms will be encouraged to import. Domestic production is roughly 2,000–2,500 tonnes a day, and supply disruptions had let some sellers charge Rs700–Rs800 per kilogramme. Saudi Aramco’s contract price rose from $540 per tonne in March to $756, putting the spot-market price, after costs, at an estimated Rs450–Rs500 per kilogramme. New stabilisation and vulnerable-consumer funds are planned, the 10% quota for remote areas is to be properly used, and the Competition Commission has been asked to act against cartelisation.
The arrangements should be fully running before winter, when domestic gas demand is expected to rise by 400–500 million cubic feet a day.
For anyone driving in Pakistan this week, the effect is modest but real: petrol and diesel both cost slightly less to fill than yesterday, which matters most on long northern routes. The change is small against a full Hunza or Skardu road trip, so it should not change an itinerary — but it does make the KKH-via-Besham option marginally cheaper, while the Babusar shortcut is already closed by snow.
The LPG reforms matter more for winter travellers: guesthouses and kitchens across the north cook and heat with LPG, and transparent, competitive supply should mean fewer shortages and less price-gouging in remote valleys.
Watch the next price revision to see whether this cut holds, and whether the LPG auctions actually start before winter as promised — an announcement is not yet a working market.
At the pump, confirm the price before filling in remote areas, where local practice can differ from the notified rate.
Source: The Express Tribune, “Govt cuts fuel prices, unveils LPG reforms”
