Petrol rises Rs5.87 per litre while High Speed Diesel falls Rs21.60 as Pakistan’s August fuel prices move in opposite directions.
ISLAMABAD: Petrol and High Speed Diesel (HSD) prices moved in opposite directions in Pakistan during August 2026, with petrol becoming more expensive while diesel recorded a significant decline.
According to official fuel price data, the petrol price increased by Rs5.87 per litre, rising from Rs336.15 per litre on July 31 to Rs342.02 per litre on August 29, 2026.
In contrast, the price of HSD fell by Rs21.60 per litre, declining from Rs393.04 per litre on July 31 to Rs371.44 per litre on August 29.
Petrol price increases in August
The official price publication effective August 29 shows petrol at Rs342.02 per litre.
The underlying cost and freight component stood at $120.41 per barrel, while the average exchange rate used for the calculation was Rs277.68 per US dollar.
The petrol price before the petroleum levy, Climate Support Levy and sales tax was calculated at Rs257.02 per litre.
The government applied an Rs80 petroleum levy and Rs5 Climate Support Levy, while sales tax was zero, taking the final retail price to Rs342.02 per litre.
At the end of July, petrol had a pre-levy price of Rs251.15 per litre, with the same Rs80 petroleum levy, Rs5 Climate Support Levy and zero sales tax, resulting in a total price of Rs336.15 per litre.
HSD price drops sharply
The decline in HSD was considerably larger.
The official July 31 publication showed HSD at Rs393.04 per litre, with the price before levies and sales tax at Rs317.22 per litre. The petroleum levy was Rs70.82 per litre, while the Climate Support Levy stood at Rs5 and sales tax was zero.
By August 29, the HSD price before levies had fallen to Rs286.44 per litre, while the petroleum levy had increased to Rs80 per litre.
The Climate Support Levy remained at Rs5 and sales tax at zero, resulting in a final HSD price of Rs371.44 per litre.
The official data therefore shows that the reduction in the underlying HSD price was large enough to offset the Rs9.18-per-litre increase in the petroleum levy, resulting in a net reduction of Rs21.60 per litre at the pump.
Petrol and diesel prices: July 31 vs August 29
| Fuel | July 31, 2026 | August 29, 2026 | Change |
| Petrol | Rs336.15/litre | Rs342.02/litre | +Rs5.87 |
| HSD | Rs393.04/litre | Rs371.44/litre | -Rs21.60 |
Overall, the month-end comparison indicates a mixed movement in Pakistan’s fuel prices during August 2026.
Petrol ended the month Rs5.87 per litre higher than its July 31 level, while HSD was Rs21.60 per litre cheaper.
The official August 29 documents also state that the full impact of revisions in daily international prices is passed on over seven working days, meaning movements in international petroleum prices feed into domestic fuel prices with a time lag.