- Govt working to minimise burden on public: finance czar.
- Supply chains functioning smoothly across Pakistan: committee.
- Committee says POL stocks at comfortable levels in Pakistan.
The government is arranging additional oil shipments to strengthen Pakistan’s reserves as it moves to ensure a stable fuel supply chain across the country, it emerged on Saturday.
The development came as Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb virtually chaired a high-level committee meeting to monitor petrol prices and review energy sector developments amid the Middle East conflict, read a statement issued by the finance ministry.
The finance minister emphasised that the government’s foremost priority is to ensure an uninterrupted availability of petroleum products across the country while minimising the burden on the public.
“Pakistan’s supply position remains stable due to proactive planning and close coordination among relevant stakeholders,” Aurangzeb said, adding that the committee will continue to monitor developments in international energy markets, domestic stock positions, and supply chain dynamics on a daily basis.
Minister for Petroleum Ali Pervaiz Malik, Minister for National Food Security and Research Rana Tanveer Hussain, Minister of State for Finance Bilal Azhar Kayani, and the State Bank of Pakistan governor, among others, attended the meeting.
During the meeting, the committee reviewed petroleum product stocks across the country and was briefed on the current national inventory of crude oil and refined petroleum products, ongoing import arrangements, and supply chain logistics.
“Members were informed about cargoes currently en route as well as additional shipments being arranged to strengthen national reserves,” read the communique.
The committee noted that petroleum product stocks remained at comfortable levels across the country, saying supply chains were functioning smoothly, with adequate arrangements in place to ensure continuity of supply in the coming weeks.
Recent developments in the global crude and refined petroleum markets were also reviewed during the meeting, with members examining international price trends, benchmark crude movements, and refined product market dynamics.
Participants of the meeting also discussed possible external scenarios and their potential implications for Pakistan’s energy sector and broader economy.
They said that the government continued to closely monitor international market developments and was “undertaking continuous scenario planning to safeguard domestic energy security and economic stability.”
During the meeting, relevant authorities briefed the committee on measures being taken to facilitate cargo movements, maintain optimal refinery throughput, and ensure the uninterrupted functioning of the petroleum supply chain.
Members were also briefed on the supply outlook for diesel, petrol, aviation fuels, and LPG, with the committee maintaining that the “current supply levels and planned imports are expected to adequately support domestic demand in the coming weeks.”
Further, the committee deliberated targeted fuel conservation and demand management options to moderate import requirements during the ongoing global crisis.
Members of the committee agreed that responsible consumption could contribute to reducing pressure on imports while supporting broader economic stability.
The meeting also reviewed progress on monitoring mechanisms across the petroleum supply chain, including the development of a digital dashboard to enhance real-time visibility of stock levels, depots, and retail supply conditions.
