Pakistan Oil Crisis: India has 70 days of oil, Pakistan has only 7 days, prices are giving sleepless nights to the public.

Pakistan is currently going through a difficult period due to severe shortage of oil and rising prices. The country’s Petroleum Minister Ali Pervez Malik has admitted that Pakistan does not have any big strategic reserves of oil like India. Due to this shortage, whenever the price of crude oil increases in the international market, the common people of Pakistan face a direct blow of inflation.

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What is the difference between the oil reserves of India and Pakistan?

The Petroleum Minister said that Pakistan does not have anything called Strategic Oil Reserves and they have only 5 to 7 days of crude oil. At the same time, the stock of refined oil can last only for 20 to 21 days. In comparison, India’s position is very strong, because India has oil reserves of about 60 to 70 days. India has a good balance of foreign exchange and is not under the pressure of any international organization, due to which it is able to control oil prices.

Change in petrol prices and public protest

People in Pakistan were very upset due to the sudden increase in oil prices and huge protests took place in many areas including Sindh. The price of petrol had reached Rs 458 to Rs 459 per liter. After this, Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif talked to the IMF and reduced the price of petrol by Rs 80 to Rs 378 per liter. However, Petroleum Development Levy (PDL) was increased to Rs 107 per liter, which did not provide much relief to the common people.

Pakistan’s new preparation to deal with oil crisis

The government has now started a plan to create an oil buffer of 90 days for the future. For this, a high-level committee was formed on 22 April 2026, which has to submit its report by 8 May. To raise money for this new system, imposition of petroleum development levy on petrol and diesel is being considered. Pakistan currently has only commercial inventory which can last for 24 to 28 days, but this is not enough to prevent a major crisis.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Why are petrol prices increasing in Pakistan?

Pakistan does not have sufficient oil reserves and is bound by IMF conditions, which led to a huge surge in crude oil prices reaching $126 in the international market.

What is the Pakistan government doing to overcome the oil crisis?

The government plans to create a 90-day strategic petroleum reserve (SPR), for which a committee has been formed and petroleum levy can be used to finance it.