KARACHI: Petrol prices have surged across nearly 150 countries following the outbreak of the Iran conflict and rising concerns over disruptions to global energy supply routes, Arab media reported.
According to the report, Cambodia recorded the highest increase, where petrol prices jumped from $1.11 in February to $1.32 in March, marking a sharp rise of 67.81 percent.
Pakistan also witnessed a significant increase in petrol prices, ranking sixth globally among countries affected by the surge. In Pakistan, prices rose from $0.92 to $1.15 during the same period, reflecting a 24.49 percent increase.
The report attributed the global spike in petrol prices to escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and growing uncertainty over the Strait of Hormuz, a key global energy shipping route.
Meanwhile, official documents show that Pakistan collected a record Rs2,725 billion under the petroleum levy over the past two years.
The data reveals that between April 2024 and March 2026, the petroleum levy collection reached Rs2,725 billion, exceeding the combined value of Pakistan’s two International Monetary Fund (IMF) loan programmes when converted into rupees.
Officials said the total IMF programme value stands at around Rs2,340 billion at current exchange rates.
During the first nine months of the current fiscal year (July 2025 to March 2026), more than Rs1,205 billion was collected under the petroleum levy.
In fiscal year 2024–25, the government generated approximately Rs1,220.21 billion through the levy, while from April to June 2024, an additional Rs299.63 billion was collected, reflecting a steady upward trend in fuel-related taxation.
