A late-night protest was held at Yateem Khana Chowk, Lahore, against the recent increase in petroleum product prices. The protest was organised by the Markazi Muslim League and attended by rickshaw, bus and motorcycle drivers.
The protesters chanted slogans against the rising petrol prices and demanded that the government immediately reduce fuel prices. They said that a Rs21 increase in petrol prices within just three days was an injustice to the poor.
According to the protesters, the rising cost of petrol has severely affected the livelihoods of rickshaw drivers, while inflation has already made it difficult for ordinary people to afford even two meals a day.
The Milli Rickshaw Union demanded an immediate reversal of the increase in petroleum product prices. Union leaders warned that if their demands were not accepted, the scope of the protest would be expanded.
The protesters said the burden of government decisions should be borne by the elite rather than ordinary citizens.
The Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) has announced revised prices for petroleum products, increasing the rates of petrol and high-speed diesel. According to the notification, the price of petrol has been increased by Rs 3.40 per litre, while the price of high-speed diesel has risen by Rs 6.72 per litre. The new prices of petroleum products will come into effect from September 10, 2026.
It is worth noting that the government had also significantly increased petroleum product prices over the previous two days, setting the price of petrol at Rs 364.35 per litre and high-speed diesel at Rs 385.95 per litre.
The new price of petrol has been fixed at Rs 367.75 per litre. Similarly, the new price of diesel has been fixed at Rs 392.87 per litre. Under the new daily pricing system, on July 17, the government increased the price of petrol by Rs 5.44 per litre and high-speed diesel (HSD) by Rs 31.50 per litre for the next three days. Following this increase, petrol reached Rs 316.15 per litre, while diesel was priced at Rs 354.35 per litre.
Later, on July 20, the government reduced the price of petrol by Rs 0.35 per litre, bringing it down to Rs 315.80 per litre. However, the price of diesel increased by Rs 5.71 per litre on the same day, reaching Rs 360.60 per litre. Before that, on Friday, the price of petrol had been set at Rs 345.87 per litre, and the price of diesel had been set at Rs 378.5 per litre. These prices had been changed for the next three days, till September 7.
The price of petrol was decreased by Rs3.13, and the price of diesel was increased by Rs3.74.
Since July 22, the government has increased the price of petrol by Rs38.04 per litre. Petrol was priced at Rs320.73 per litre on July 22. It is now being sold at Rs358.77 per litre. The price of high-speed diesel has also gone up during this period. Diesel was priced at Rs367.21 per litre on July 22. It now costs Rs 381.77 per litre, showing an increase of Rs 14.56 per litre. In the latest price revision, the government increased the price of high-speed diesel by Rs 3.72 per litre.