ISLAMABAD: The federal government has left petrol and diesel prices unchanged for the fortnight beginning 11 August, holding pump rates steady rather than revising them in either direction.

A notification issued by the Petroleum Division said the decision to keep prices where they are was driven by the non-publication of Platts prices — the international benchmark that ordinarily feeds into Pakistan’s fortnightly pricing formula. Without that reference point, the usual calculation could not be completed.

The freeze arrives at a moment of unusual volatility in global energy markets, with crude prices swinging sharply on developments around the Strait of Hormuz and the wider Middle East conflict. Brent has climbed steeply in recent sessions, raising the prospect of upward pressure at the next review.

For consumers, the immediate effect is stability at the pump. For the transport sector, however, the decision has landed in the middle of an unresolved dispute over fuel pricing and taxation, with goods and oil carriers still off the road in several parts of the country.

Petroleum dealers have separately pressed the government for movement on their own demands, warning that unresolved grievances could disrupt supply.