Pakistan(National Times)-The federal government has increased the price of petrol by Rs3.47 per litre for the next fortnight, according to an official statement issued on Wednesday. According to the Finance Division notification, the per litre price of high-speed diesel (HSD) has been increased from Rs258.34 to Rs260.95 after an increase of Rs2.61. “The Oil & Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) has worked out the consumer prices of petroleum products in view of the fluctuations in the international market in the last fortnight,” read the official notification. It said the new fuel prices will be effective from January 16. The hike in petroleum prices is attributed to rising international oil prices, driven by the US sanctions on oil exports to China and India. In the wake of these sanctions, the price of crude oil has surged past $81 per barrel—the highest since August 2024—amid concern over the impact of US shipping restrictions on Russian oil supplies. Earlier this month, the government had increased the price of petrol by Re0.56 per litre on New Year’s Eve, for the first fortnight of 2025.