Truckers demand higher rates as diesel price climbs to record levels

Islamabad, July 19 – The latest increase in diesel, up by 31.05 rupees per litre, has pushed the retail price to 354.35 rupees, a level described as unprecedented in recent years.

Heavy‑vehicle operators responded by raising freight charges. The fee for transporting containers, trailers and large trucks on the Karachi‑Peshawar route now approaches eight lakh rupees.

Industry representatives warned that any further fluctuations in fuel costs will be directly transferred to shippers and passengers, intensifying the financial burden on the logistics chain.

Fuel‑pump owners have issued a warning of a nationwide strike, arguing that the government's habit of revising prices often destabilises the market.

Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik linked the surge to rising international crude prices driven by heightened tensions between Iran and the United States, and announced a shift to daily price determination.