ISLAMABAD: The Pakistani government has increased the prices of petroleum products by as much as Rs35 per liter, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar announced on Sunday, as the South Asian country struggles to meet International Monetary Fund’s demands to resume its $7 billion loan program.
The cash-strapped South Asian nation has been desperately looking for external financing as its foreign exchange reserves have depleted to a staggering $3.7 billion — barely enough to provide three-week import cover.
The 9th review of Pakistan’s $7 billion IMF loan program has been pending since September last year, primarily because of the tough preconditions set by the global money lender. One of the prerequisites is to achieve a petroleum development levy (PDL) to the tune of Rs855 billion ($3.4 billion) by June 2023.
Dar said the government had to increase the prices of petroleum products, considering the recent devaluation of Pakistani currency and up to 11 percent in global fuel prices.
“A decision has been made that petrol and diesel prices will be increased by Rs35 each, and kerosene oil and light diesel oil will be increased by Rs18 each,” he said in his televised comments.
Pakistan revises petroleum prices every fortnight, but the hike two days in advance of the scheduled revision shows the government’s despair for the resumption of the IMF program to keep the frail economy on track.
Following Sunday’s revision of prices, petrol will now be available at Rs249.8 per liter, high-speed diesel at Rs262.8, kerosene oil at Rs189.83 and light diesel oil at Rs187 per liter, Dar announced.
“These prices will be applicable from 11am on Sunday, 29th January,” he added.
The hike follows more than 12 percent depreciation in the value of the local currency this week and is expected to further increase inflation in Pakistan, which was already hovering above 24 percent in December.
Pakistan jacks up prices of petroleum products by as much as Rs35
https://arab.news/y6cmz
Pakistan jacks up prices of petroleum products by as much as Rs35
- Finance chief says government had to raise prices after currency devaluation, global hikes
- The Pakistani currency this week lost more than 12 percent of its value against the greenback
Pakistan’s Mahnoor Omer named among TIME’s ‘Women of the Year’ for 2026
- Omer moved a Pakistani court against the so-called ‘period tax’ in Sept. 2025 which has since sparked a national debate
- Taxes on sanitary pads in Pakistan can add up to 40 percent to retail price, UNICEF says only around 12 percent women use such products
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani women’s rights activist Mahnoor Omer, who fought against taxes on menstrual products, has been named among the TIME magazine’s ‘Women of the Year’ for 2026.
Omer’s efforts have been recognized alongside 16 activists, artists, athletes and businesswomen in the TIME’s Women of the Year 2026 list, including Olympic gold medalist Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and Oscar-nominated filmmaker Chloe Zhao.
Dissatisfied with the efforts to educate Pakistani girls about sexual violence, Omer founded the Noor Foundation at the age of 14 and held her own workshops with village girls about everything from climate change to menstruation, according to the TIME magazine.
Two years later, a conversation with a domestic worker about the price of pads made her realize that not everyone could afford these essentials. She moved a court against the so-called “period tax” in Sept. 2025 and the case has sparked a national debate on the subject, considered a taboo by many in Pakistan, since its first hearing late last year.
“A decade and one law degree after her interest in activism was sparked, Omer, now 25, is putting her passion and expertise to work in the name of gender equity,” TIME wrote about Omer on its website.
Taxes imposed on sanitary products in Pakistan can add up to 40 percent to the retail price. UNICEF estimates just 12 percent of women in the country use commercially produced pads or tampons. The alternative, using cloth, risks health impacts including rashes and infections, and can make it impossible for girls to attend school while menstruating.
Omer’s suit, which awaits the government response, has sparked a national discussion. She says she spoke about menstruation to her father and male cousins, who thanked her for standing up for their daughters.
The 25-year-old, who is currently enrolled in a master’s degree in gender, peace, and security at the London School of Economics, sees this case as just the first of many.
“I’m not free until every woman is free,” she was quoted as saying by TIME. “I want to leave no stones unturned in terms of what I can do with the next few decades, as a lawyer for the women in my country and gender minorities in general.”
