Petrol Just Got Rs 5.77 More Expensive, Diesel Rs 6.47. The Hike Hits Today

After a three-day weekend delay, the federal government has raised petrol by Rs 5.77 and high-speed diesel by Rs 6.47 per litre, effective from 18 August 2026. The new ex-depot prices are Rs 331.20 for petrol and Rs 390.42 for HSD. Kerosene has also gone up by Rs 6.88. This is a much bigger move than the August 12 revision, and the diesel petroleum levy has been raised by another rupee in the same notification.

What changed overnight

The Petroleum Division issued the new ex-depot prices late on Sunday, after the three-day delay caused by the Independence Day and weekend gap. The new rates took effect from 18 August 2026, for a 24-hour period. Petrol is now Rs 331.20 per litre, up from Rs 325.43. High-speed diesel is now Rs 390.42 per litre, up from Rs 383.95. Kerosene has been raised by Rs 6.88 to Rs 296.63 per litre.

Both petrol and diesel are now more expensive than at any point in 2026 so far. Petrol is up Rs 3.58 from its mid-August level, and diesel is up Rs 8.17 from where it sat on 12 August, before the previous revision.

Why prices jumped this much

Two things drove the move, and both are visible in the Ogra and Petroleum Division notification.

First, the international oil market has firmed sharply. Brent crude has been trading above USD 90 a barrel through mid-August, after briefly dipping on US-Iran deal hopes that have since faded. Refined product prices, especially middle distillates like diesel, have moved up even faster than crude.

Second, the government has nudged the diesel petroleum levy up by another Rs 1 per litre, from Rs 77.28 to Rs 78.28. The petrol levy stays at Rs 80 per litre. Customs duty and the Climate Support Levy are unchanged. Dealer and OMC margins are also unchanged, at Rs 8.64 and Rs 7.87 per litre respectively.

Put together, that means the diesel rise is roughly split: a base-price move driven by global markets, and a Rs 1 levy increase that goes straight to the exchequer. The petrol rise is almost entirely a base-price move.

What this means for your wallet

For a household with a 40-litre petrol car, the new price means an extra Rs 230 to fill up compared with the 12 August rate. For a small transport business running two or three diesel vans, the new price means around Rs 400 more per tank. Across a fleet, that adds up fast.

Ride-hailing drivers will feel it again. Intercity buses and freight will feel it more. The first effect on consumer prices is likely to show up at the vegetable stall, the dairy counter, and the flour shop, because most of what arrives in a Pakistani city gets there by road.

The story is the same one we have been writing for a year: the diesel price is the one that matters for the cost of living, even if the petrol price gets the headlines.

What has not changed

For all the movement at the pump, the underlying cost structure is the same. The federal taxes and duties on petrol (Rs 114 per litre) and HSD (Rs 100 per litre) are unchanged. The Climate Support Levy is unchanged at Rs 5 per litre. The dealer and OMC margins are unchanged. The pricing cycle is still fortnightly, and the next scheduled review is 26 August 2026.

Light diesel oil and LPG cylinder prices are not part of this notification. Those have their own schedule.

What is coming up

The next 24-hour window is not the end of the story. The 26 August 2026 fortnightly review is just over a week away, and the underlying global oil trend is still up. If the Brent marker stays where it is, the next revision is likely to be another move higher, especially for diesel. If the JI protest movement that has been running for three days forces the government to revisit the petroleum levy, the picture could change quickly.

On top of that, NEPRA has scheduled a hearing for 27 August on the CPPA’s request to raise the electricity tariff by Rs 2.52 per unit to recover July’s fuel cost adjustment. If that goes through, households will be paying more for both fuel and electricity at the same time, which is the more uncomfortable version of this story.

What you can do this week

1. Petrol drivers: if you can, top up today or tomorrow before any further movement. Petrol is at its highest 2026 level.
2. Diesel drivers and fleet operators: expect further upward pressure. Build the new rate into this week’s pricing and route planning.
3. Households: brace for a fresh round of upward pressure on transport-linked prices, especially fresh produce and dairy, over the next week.
4. If you have to travel intercity: book early, before any further fuel-linked fare surge.

The bigger picture

This is the third fuel-price move in three weeks. Petrol went down by Rs 1.70 on 12 August. Diesel went up by Rs 1.39 the same day. Now both are moving up again, and the size of the move is larger this time. That is the direction of the international market right now, and Pakistan is a price-taker on the fuel side.

The bigger question, which we covered earlier this week, is whether the fortnightly review is really going to deliver the price stability that the goods transporters were promised when they suspended their strike. So far, the prices are moving every fortnight, sometimes in different directions for petrol and diesel, and usually by an amount that is bigger than the government’s communications suggest.

For most drivers, the practical takeaway is the same: assume the next pump price is at least as high as today’s, and budget for the next fortnightly review on 26 August to be another upward move, especially on diesel.