FCC moved against sharp fuel price increase
ISLAMABAD: A citizen has approached the Federal Constitution Court (FCC), seeking relief against the sharp increase in petrol and diesel prices.
Moved under Article 175(E) of the Constitution, Advocate Zulfikar Ahmed Bhutta, in his petition, sought directions from the court for the government to withdraw the recent price hike in petroleum products, which, according to the petitioner, was imposed in the name of the US-Iran war crisis as well as in line with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) directions.
The petition was filed after the federal government increased the price of petrol by Rs6.51 per litre and that of high-speed diesel (HSD) by Rs19.39 on Friday. Following the hike, the price of petrol stands at Rs399.86 per litre and HSD at Rs399.58.
Petition calls on court to direct govt to provide petrol and diesel at Rs200 per litre
The government has attributed the increase to the Middle East conflict and the situation in the Strait of Hormuz.
‘Rs200 per litre’
The petition has requested the FCC to issue directions to the respondent, the government, to provide petrol and diesel at a rate of Rs200 per litre. It said that the government should also ensure the import of petroleum products from Iran through all available sources, including pipelines, on an urgent basis.
The petition contended that the government should request countries in the Middle East to provide petroleum products at concessional prices because of the services being provided by Pakistan in relation to defence.
The petition maintained that Pakistan’s neighbouring countries were importing petroleum products from the same sources and over similar distances but selling fuel at less than half the price being charged in the country.
The petitioner argued that the recent price hike was unjustified and constituted “exploitation of citizens” under the guise of the US-Iran war.
Citing calculations from Dr Alamdar Hussain Malik, a former financial adviser, the petition noted that Pakistan consumed roughly 240,000 barrels (38 million litres) of petrol per day. An increase of Rs55 per litre alone generates approximately Rs2.1 billion daily or over Rs63bn monthly.
By including diesel revenues, the total extraction may exceed Rs120bn per month.
The petition stated that the US government had announced the withdrawal of sanctions on purchasing petrol and diesel from Iran in early April, but Pakistan failed to arrange imports from the neighbouring country, which could have provided fuel at less than Rs150 per litre. It argued that although the government maintained that the price hike was unavoidable due to global crude oil markets, IMF conditions, and the regional conflict, these were mere “smoke screens” allegedly used to conceal wasteful government expenditures, including salary hikes for judges and ministers, and tax policies that burden common citizens.
Published in Dawn, May 2nd, 2026