Islamabad: Minister for Petroleum Ali Pervaiz Malik has announced that oil refineries have agreed to reduce diesel prices by approximately 32 rupees per liter to provide relief to the public. This announcement was made during a joint news conference with Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar in Islamabad.

According to Radio Pakistan, Ali Pervaiz Malik stated that the final calculation of the diesel price reduction will be announced by OGRA. He emphasized that the government is aware of the challenges faced by the population due to the ongoing war and is taking measures within its available resources to offer relief.

The reduction in diesel prices is expected to particularly aid farmers using tractors and tube-wells, as well as students who rely on buses for transportation. The Minister expressed gratitude to the country's refineries for complying with the government's request and assured that the full benefit would be passed on to consumers.

In line with directives from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Ali Pervaiz Malik plans to visit refineries in Karachi next week to discuss their upgrading and to explore measures to enhance Pakistan's energy security. He also mentioned that the government will work on bonded schemes and crude oil storage arrangements with friendly countries to mitigate vulnerabilities in the country's energy sector.

The Minister called on the public to remain patient, assuring them that the government will continue to provide relief as fiscal space becomes available.