Petrol costs Rs386.30 a litre in Pakistan from October 17 to 19, and high-speed diesel Rs396.96. That is about Rs72 below April's record of Rs458.41, but still far above where it started 2026: petrol had risen Rs145.13 a litre since January as of October 12.

The jump traces back to the war that began on February 28 and Iran's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world's oil used to flow. Here is how prices got here, how they are set now, who gets relief and how to cut your fuel bill.

Fuel prices today

Fuel	Price per litre	Valid
Petrol	Rs386.30 (down Rs3.93)	October 17 to 19
High-speed diesel	Rs396.96 (unchanged)	October 17 to 19

Petrol was Rs390.23 on October 16 and Rs393.86 on October 15.

Petrol price timeline: from Rs266 to Rs458 and back

Date	Petrol (Rs per litre)	What happened
Early March	About 266	Days after the war began on February 28
Before April 3	321.17	Prices climb as oil spikes
April 3	458.41	Record high after a 42.7% rise in one revision; diesel hit 520.35
April 5	About 378	Petroleum levy cut from a record Rs161 to Rs80 a litre, according to price trackers
Sept 1	342.79	Summer lows after oil eased
Sept 22	393.75	September peak as oil climbed back towards $100
Oct 3	392.76	Early October
Oct 9	About 398.96	Highest of the current run
Oct 17	386.30	Latest revision

Several of the April and September figures come from price trackers and news reports, so check OGRA's notifications for exact dates. Diesel rose from Rs257.08 at the start of the year to Rs396.24 on October 10, an increase of Rs139.16.

Why fuel prices moved

The Hormuz blockade. Iran has blockaded the Strait of Hormuz since the war began on February 28, pushing global oil, diesel and petrol prices far above pre-war levels. Pakistan imports most of its oil, so global prices feed straight into the pump price.
Oil swings. Brent crude has swung widely since March, spiking above $100 at times and falling back on hopes of a deal. Talks between Iran and Gulf states in Oman on managing the strait have repeatedly stalled.
Government levies. The petroleum levy was reportedly raised to a record Rs161 a litre in April and later cut to Rs80, and it is a key revenue source under Pakistan's IMF programme.
Where your money goes. For diesel at Rs396.96, about Rs273.72 (69%) is the cost of the fuel shipped to Pakistan, Rs22.56 (6%) is getting it to the pump and Rs100.68 (25%) goes to the government. Reports put government taxes on petrol at about Rs114 a litre.

The rupee matters too, because oil is bought in dollars. The rupee has held near 277 to the dollar in recent weeks, so most of the movement has come from oil prices and levies.

How Pakistan sets fuel prices now

Prices used to be revised every fortnight, on the 1st and 16th of each month. After the shock in March and April, the government moved to weekly reviews, and it has since shifted to a mechanism under which the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) publishes ex-depot prices much more often, in recent weeks for periods of one to three days.

Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik has said the new system uses a rolling seven-day average of international prices, and OGRA has published daily Platts reference prices since July 1. That means pump prices now follow the global market more closely, and small changes of a few rupees can happen several times a week.

The fuel relief scheme

The Prime Minister's Fuel Relief Scheme gives a Rs100 per litre discount to eligible people:

Motorcycles, rickshaws and Qingqi rickshaws: up to 20 litres a month. Those registered on or after January 1, 2006 are eligible.
Vehicles up to 800cc: up to 30 litres a month.
How to register: send REG followed by your CNIC number to 9771.
How to claim: send TOK to 9771 for a token number by SMS, then show it at the petrol station.
Small purchases: buyers of less than five litres can claim Rs500 relief against a single token.

What it means for households and the economy

Fuel is a cost at every step of the economy, so higher pump prices ripple through to food, transport and electricity.

Transport and food. Diesel runs trucks, buses and tractors, so a Rs139 rise in diesel since January pushes up the cost of moving and growing food.
Inflation. CPI inflation averaged 10.18% in July and August, against 3.56% a year earlier,, and the State Bank of Pakistan holds its next rate decision on October 26.
Household budgets. A motorcyclist using 20 litres a month pays about Rs7,700 at Rs386.30, or about Rs5,700 with the Rs100 relief.
Cars and EVs. The government says higher petrol prices are speeding up electric vehicle adoption, with electric car sales reportedly doubling and electric motorcycle sales tripling.

Outlook: prices will keep following global oil, so the biggest swing factor is whether Iran and Gulf states agree a deal to reopen Hormuz. Until then, expect frequent small changes rather than a steady fall.

Ways to cut your fuel bill

Register for the relief scheme if you ride a motorcycle, rickshaw or Qingqi, or drive a car up to 800cc. It is worth Rs100 a litre on up to 20 or 30 litres a month.
Check the day's price before filling up, since prices can change every few days, and fill up when the notified price drops.
Keep tyres inflated and the engine serviced. Under-inflated tyres and a dirty air filter raise fuel use.
Drive smoothly. Rapid acceleration and heavy braking burn more fuel, and cruising at steady speeds saves it.
Combine trips and avoid peak traffic, where idling wastes fuel.
Share rides or use public transport where you can, and carry less weight in the car.
Weigh an EV or hybrid if you drive a lot, since the government's auto policy proposes tax cuts, though the policy was still under discussion with the IMF as of early October.

Petrol price in Pakistan FAQ

What is the petrol price in Pakistan today? Rs386.30 a litre from October 17 to 19, 2026. Check OGRA or PSO for the latest notification.

What is the diesel price? Rs396.96 a litre, unchanged for the same period.

What was the highest petrol price in Pakistan? Rs458.41 a litre on April 3, 2026.

Why are petrol prices so high? Because of the war that began on February 28 and Iran's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, which pushed up global oil prices, plus government levies.

How often do petrol prices change? Much more often than before. Prices were once revised every fortnight, then weekly, and OGRA now publishes prices for periods of one to three days.

How do I get the Rs100 petrol relief? Send REG and your CNIC number to 9771 to register, then send TOK to get a token to show at the pump. Eligible people are motorcyclists, rickshaw and Qingqi owners, and owners of vehicles up to 800cc.

Will petrol prices fall soon? They follow global oil, so a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz could bring lower prices, while new attacks could push them up.

Sources

Reporting based on OGRA notifications and news coverage as of October 18, 2026.