The government on Thursday raised the prices of petrol by Rs6.51 per litre and high-speed diesel (HSD) by Rs19.39 per litre for the next week amid the current fuel crisis due to the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.

A notification by the Petroleum Division said the new petrol price was Rs399.86 and Rs399.58 for HSD.

Earlier, the Petroleum Division rejected reports about the closure of petrol pumps from May 1.

In a statement, the division said there was no truth in reports suggesting the closure of petrol pumps, adding that the supply of petroleum products would continue without interruption.

It urged the public to avoid being misled by what it called negative propaganda aimed at creating panic.

The statement added that since the beginning of the Middle East conflict, petroleum supply had remained uninterrupted and would continue to be ensured in the future.

Amid earlier reports of the expected hike and possible shortage of petroleum products, citizens rushed to petrol pumps in the federal capital, resulting in long queues and increased rush.

The district administration issued an important message for citizens amid reports of increased activity at petrol pumps across the city, terming reports of petrol unavailability as “mere rumours”.

It said sufficient stock of petrol was available at all fuel stations in the city and urged citizens to report any fuel station providing less petrol than required.

“If any fuel pump provides less petrol than your requirement, inform us immediately,” the district administration said.

A spokesperson added that citizens could contact the district administration’s control room at 051-9108084 and urged them not to heed rumours of a fuel shortage.

Reports of a possible hike in petroleum prices also triggered a rush at fuel stations in Lahore.

In anticipation of rising prices, long queues of vehicles were seen at petrol pumps across the city, disrupting traffic flow in several areas.

Motorcycles, cars and rickshaws were seen lined up outside multiple fuel stations, while reports also indicated that several petrol pumps temporarily halted supply amid the rush.

Since rising tensions between the United States and Iran in the Middle East led to a surge in petroleum prices, the government has increased fuel prices by more than 50 per cent.

The US and Israel launched an attack on Iran in February, after which Tehran retaliated with strikes and closed the Strait of Hormuz, disrupting global oil supplies and triggering a sharp rise in international oil prices.

Amid the rising prices, the government, in the first week of March, increased petroleum product prices twice, noting that the hikes exceeded the increase in the international market. However, the most significant increase was witnessed in April this year.

Earlier this month, the government raised the petrol price by Rs137 per litre, taking it to a record Rs458.4. However, a few days later, the prime minister, in a televised address, announced a Rs80 per litre reduction in the petroleum levy on petrol, bringing its price down to Rs378 per litre.

Last week, the government again increased the prices of both high-speed diesel (HSD) and petrol by Rs26.77 per litre despite no corresponding increase in international rates, as it imposed nearly Rs27 per litre additional levy on fuel to push prices higher.

Just a week later, it has now raised petroleum product prices again, bringing them close to Rs400 per litre.