Day: September 15, 2026

ISLAMABAD: The federal government is working on a plan to exclude routine administrative matters concerning oil and gas companies from the purview of the Council of Common Interests (CCI), a move that could trigger resistance from the provinces. According to sources, the federal government does not want to seek CCI approval for day-to-day administrative affairs in the gas sector, arguing that such matters fall within the respective jurisdictions of the federal government and provincial administrations. Policy Decisions to Remain Subject to CCI Several oil and gas-related decisions are currently being…

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Oil prices rose on Tuesday as concerns over global supply disruptions intensified following attacks on Saudi Arabian energy infrastructure that left the kingdom’s East-West oil pipeline offline and raised fresh doubts over efforts to reduce shipping risks in the Gulf. Brent crude futures climbed $1.37, or 1.3%, to $107.05 a barrel, while US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) futures increased $1.53, or 1.51%, to $102.92 a barrel. Both benchmarks had gained more than 1% in the previous session. Fresh attacks by Iran-backed Houthi forces in Yemen on Saudi Arabia on Monday,…

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KARACHI: The Pakistan Petroleum Dealers Association (PPDA) has called for an immediate revision of the government’s newly announced Fuel Relief Scheme, warning that the existing mechanism could create operational difficulties, long queues and risks of fraud at petrol stations. Speaking to the media on Monday, PPDA Chairperson Malik Khuda Baksh said petrol dealers across the country were increasingly concerned about the practical implementation of the scheme. He said dealers would face difficulties verifying the required information for every customer, particularly during peak hours. At many petrol stations, he noted, 35…

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ISLAMABAD: Rising electricity and gas prices have emerged as the biggest concern among Pakistani citizens, according to the National Citizen Survey 2026, conducted by the Institute for Public Opinion Research (IPOR). The findings were unveiled on Monday at a Citizens’ Roundtable in Islamabad convened by PILDAT Consulting, which led stakeholder engagement and communications for the public launch. The event brought together experts from academia, think tanks, the judiciary, legal profession and media to discuss the survey’s findings. The National Citizen Survey 2026 was conducted through face-to-face, in-home interviews with 5,155…

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ISLAMABAD: Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik has estimated that the government’s fuel relief scheme will cost between Rs25 billion and Rs30 billion per month, with the total expenditure potentially reaching around Rs300 billion if the programme continues for 10 months. Speaking at a press conference alongside Federal Ministers Attaullah Tarar and Shaza Fatima Khawaja, Malik said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had directed the government to mobilise additional resources to sustain the relief programme. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif launched the scheme on Sunday, announcing a Rs100-per-litre discount on petrol for motorcyclists,…

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