Why do diesel and petrol prices move differently in Pakistan?
Diesel fell by Rs 28.07 a litre between 18 September and 13 October 2026; petrol rose by Rs 4.58. I show why, line by line.
Diesel price breakdown, line by line
The Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) table for has 23 rows. 11 of them are rupee amounts that add up to the price of Rs 399.82 a litre. The rest are dollar figures, conversion rates and subtotals. The letters, units and formulas are OGRA’s. The row names are ours, in plain English.
The fuel, shipped to Pakistan
Rs 276.59
69.18%
Getting it to the pump
Rs 22.55
5.64%
Government
Rs 100.68
25.18%
| Row | Line | Amount | Unit | Formula | Group |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| row A of the archived publication | Dubai crude, Platts Arab Gulf meanLeads to H | 114.15 | US$ a barrel | Leads to H | |
| row B of the archived publication | Aramco crude premiumLeads to H | −1.50 | US$ a barrel | Leads to H | |
| row C of the archived publication | Freight and insuranceLeads to H | 8.00 | US$ a barrel | Leads to H | |
| row D of the archived publication | Refining marginLeads to H | 38.00 | US$ a barrel | Leads to H | |
| row E of the archived publication | Cost and freightLeads to H | 158.65 | US$ a barrel | E = A + B + C + D | Leads to H |
| row F of the archived publication | State Bank average exchange rateLeads to H | 276.97 | Rs per US$ | Leads to H | |
| row G of the archived publication | Conversion factorLeads to H | 158.98 | litres a barrel | Leads to H | |
| row H of the archived publication | Cost and freight, in rupeesThe fuel, shipped to Pakistan | 276.38 | Rs a litre | H = E × F ÷ Grows add to 276.40 | The fuel, shipped to Pakistan |
| row I of the archived publication | IncidentalsThe fuel, shipped to Pakistan | 0.20 | Rs a litre | The fuel, shipped to Pakistan | |
| row J of the archived publication | Ocean loss or gainThe fuel, shipped to Pakistan | 0.00 | Rs a litre | The fuel, shipped to Pakistan | |
| row K of the archived publication | Cost at Karachi portSubtotal | 276.59 | Rs a litre | K = H + I + Jrows add to 276.58 | Subtotal |
| row L of the archived publication | Exchange rate adjustmentThe fuel, shipped to Pakistan | 0.00 | Rs a litre | The fuel, shipped to Pakistan | |
| row M of the archived publication | Customs dutyGovernment | 15.68 | Rs a litre | Government | |
| row N of the archived publication | Ex-refinery or import priceSubtotal | 292.27 | Rs a litre | N = K + L + M | Subtotal |
| row O of the archived publication | Inland freight equalisation (IFEM)Getting it to the pump | 4.70 | Rs a litre | Getting it to the pump | |
| row P of the archived publication | Oil marketing company (OMC) marginGetting it to the pump | 7.87 | Rs a litre | Getting it to the pump | |
| row Q of the archived publication | Dealer commissionGetting it to the pump | 9.98 | Rs a litre | Getting it to the pump | |
| row R of the archived publication | Price before levies and taxSubtotal | 314.82 | Rs a litre | R = N + O + P + Q | Subtotal |
| row S of the archived publication | Petroleum levyGovernment | 80.00 | Rs a litre | Government | |
| row T of the archived publication | Climate support levyGovernment | 5.00 | Rs a litre | Government | |
| row U of the archived publication | Price before sales taxSubtotal | 399.82 | Rs a litre | U = R + S + T | Subtotal |
| row V of the archived publication | Sales taxGovernment | 0.00 | Rs a litre | Government | |
| row W of the archived publication | Total price at the pumpPrice at the pump | 399.82 | Rs a litre | W = U + V | Price at the pump |
Rows F and G are not costs. They turn the dollar price into rupees a litre: the State Bank’s exchange rate, and the litres in one barrel.
Every subtotal matches the rows it adds up, within the rounding of the figures OGRA prints.
diesel: H is 276.38 but E x F / G is 276.40; difference 0.02
OGRA price notification for , document 17724.
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Questions about this table
Why does petrol’s customs duty keep rising while diesel’s stays at Rs 15.68?
Petrol’s customs duty rose from Rs 17.28 to Rs 26.31 a litre between 21 July and 23 October 2026. Diesel’s was Rs 15.68 throughout.
Why did the diesel price fall Rs 7.69 on 20 October 2026?
On 20 October 2026, the refining margin on OGRA’s diesel sheet fell for the first time, to US$38.00 a barrel. Here is what moved.
What makes up the petrol price in Pakistan?
A litre of petrol or diesel is a sum of named lines. Here I read them from the 1 September 2026 sheet.
What is Pakistan’s petroleum levy, and why is it Rs 80 a litre?
The petroleum levy started in 1961 to keep fuel prices steady. This article explains its history, its purpose and why it is Rs 80 today.
What is IFEM, and why does it change?
IFEM pools the cost of moving fuel inland, so every city pays one price. A new figure is set almost every week.