ISLAMABAD: After progressively increasing fuel prices in the country for about two consecutive months, Pakistan offered respite to consumers by cutting the petrol and diesel rates by eight and 10 rupees, respectively, on Saturday.
The country fixes petroleum prices on a fortnightly basis after evaluating fluctuating international energy market costs and the rupee-dollar parity before transferring the impact on domestic consumers.
Last month, the government announced a record increase of up to Rs26 in the prices of petroleum products, breaching the Rs330 mark for the first time in the country’s history as it faced unprecedented inflation.
“In the wake of variations in international prices of petroleum products and the improvement in the exchange rate, the Government of Pakistan has decided to revise the consumer prices of petroleum products,” announced a statement by the finance division.
“The new prices of petroleum products for the fortnight starting 01.01.2023 will be as follows,” it continued while showing the decline in a tabulated form.
The new rate of petrol has dropped from Rs331.38 to Rs323.38, while high-speed diesel is now available for Rs318.18 after the reduction in its previous price of Rs329.18.
Pakistan’s interim information minister Murtaza Solangi said over a week ago that a decrease in petroleum prices was “highly likely” after the Pakistani rupee had gained value against the US dollar due to the caretaker government’s administrative measures.
Pakistan reduces petrol price by Rs8 per liter following record hikes in fuel costs
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Pakistan reduces petrol price by Rs8 per liter following record hikes in fuel costs
- Petroleum prices were increased by up to Rs26 last month, taking them beyond Rs330 for the first time in history
- The government expressed possibility the price reduction recently due to the strengthening of national currency
Pakistan flags funding strain, host state cooperation gaps in UN peacekeeping
- Pakistan says blue helmets remain the most visible symbol of UN commitment to peace
- The country urges member states to pay contributions on time to sustain UN missions
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Friday raised concerns over mounting financial pressures on United Nations peacekeeping operations along with a lack of cooperation from some host countries, warning that the challenges risk undermining the effectiveness and safety of missions worldwide.
Pakistan’s top diplomat at the UN flagged the issues while speaking at a UN Security Council briefing on peacekeeping police components.
Pakistan is one of the world’s top troop-contributing countries and has deployed more than 235,000 peacekeepers to 48 UN missions across four continents over the past eight decades.
A total of 182 of its peacekeepers have also lost their lives while serving under the UN flag.
“We are concerned at the current challenges faced by the United Nations peacekeeping, both financial as well as those arising from lack of host state cooperation,” Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad told the council. “Pakistan underscores the importance of full cooperation by host States to enable timely deployment of peacekeepers including police components where authorized by the Security Council.”
He noted that UN missions were operating under acute financial stress, leading to capacity reductions that directly affected mandate delivery and the safety of peacekeepers, while UN police units continued to face gaps between authorized strength and actual deployments.
Ahmad urged UN member states to pay their assessed contributions in full and on time to ensure peacekeeping missions remain operationally capable.
“Blue helmets are the most visible symbol of the United Nations commitment to peace and stability,” he said. “Peacekeeping brings relevance and legitimacy to this organization by making a tangible difference in people’s lives.”
Pakistan has contributed both military and police personnel to UN operations, deploying more than 50 formed police units to missions including Haiti, Darfur, Timor-Leste and Côte d’Ivoire, according to Pakistan’s UN mission.
