Four petrol-laden ships arrive at Port Qasim amid fuel crisis
KARACHI: Amid the recent energy crisis and government measures to cope with the prevailing global fuel shortage triggered by the ongoing US-Israel-Iran conflict, four petrol-laden ships have arrived at Port Qasim, officials confirmed.
Around 37,000 tonnes of petrol have already been offloaded, while another shipment of 50,000 tonnes is currently being transferred.
According to Port Qasim officials, two more ships are scheduled to arrive soon — one carrying 55,000 tonnes on March 12 and another with 34,000 tonnes on March 13.
The development comes days after the federal government raised petrol and diesel prices by Rs55 per litre as surging global oil prices, fuelled by the US-Israel war with Iran, put pressure on domestic energy costs.
The new price of petrol was set at Rs321.17 per litre, up from Rs266.17, while the diesel rate increased to Rs335.86 per litre from Rs280.86 after the latest review.
The federal government has also announced a range of measures to conserve fuel as Pakistan seeks to mitigate the fallout from the ongoing war in the Middle East.
Addressing the nation, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the entire region had been gripped by conflict and stressed that Pakistan was pursuing diplomatic efforts to help defuse the crisis.
The prime minister said the government had taken difficult economic and administrative decisions to manage the situation and reduce the impact of the energy crisis. According to a notification issued by the Cabinet Division, the austerity measures will apply across federal government establishments, including ministries, departments, autonomous bodies, state-owned enterprises, the legislature, defence organisations and the judiciary. Provincial governments have also been advised to adopt similar measures. Monitoring Desk
