Overview
- Government officials say they absorbed Rs69 billion to block steep petrol and diesel hikes, funding the gap with cuts to development spending.
- A formal notice set high‑octane petrol at Rs535 per liter with roughly Rs305 in per‑liter fuel tax after a Rs200 increase aimed at luxury users, which the government estimates will save about Rs9 billion each month.
- The higher charge applies to high‑octane petrol used by luxury cars and does not extend to public transport or airlines.
- Austerity and conservation steps include grounding large shares of official vehicles and urging people to avoid nonessential travel to limit use of costly imported fuel, with finance officials warning resources are tight.
- The Federal Board of Revenue has connected 12,861 big retailers to a point‑of‑sale tax system to document sales under IMF‑linked reforms, while military leaders reinforced cross‑border counterterrorism to protect internal stability.