As a result of the approval of the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC), the margin that dealers make on gasoline and diesel has been increased by Rs1.34 per liter respectively.

In the course of an ECC meeting that was presided over by Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb, who is the Minister of Finance, the decision was made.

As a result of the approval, the manufacturers’ profit margin on gasoline and diesel will go up from Rs8.64 to Rs9.98 per liter.

This action is being taken with the intention of addressing the concerns of petroleum dealers and increasing the practicality of operations at gas stations.

Nauman Butt, Vise Chairman of the All Pakistan Petroleum Pumps Owners Association, expressed his satisfaction with the decision and expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the Petroleum Minister for their approval of the hike.

Bilateral commerce between the United States and Pakistan topped $8 billion in 2025, showing increasing prospects for economic collaboration between the two countries, said US Chargé d’Affaires to Pakistan Natalie Baker.

Baker’s comments followed her visit to Lahore on August 11 and 12 where she met Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, Adviser Ali Dar, business leaders and technological specialists.

The sessions focused on artificial intelligence (AI), higher education, innovation, trade and measures to encourage investment between the two countries, the US Embassy said.

The United States was dedicated to continuing to work with Pakistan’s corporate sector, universities, innovators and government institutions to expand cooperation in developing sectors, Baker said.

She welcomed the strong growth of technology sector in Pakistan and said the two nations should further enhance cooperation in the fields of trade, investment, AI and emerging technologies.

The US diplomat also noted prospects in software development, digital services and artificial intelligence.

“We need to grow our bilateral commercial relations,” Baker said, adding that trade between the two countries reached more than $8 billion in 2025.

The US educational knowledge might provide new ways for Pakistani children to learn and help build deeper economic relations between Pakistan and the US, she noted.

Pakistan Stock Market began the third day of the business week by getting back the 180,000-point threshold, with the benchmark KSE-100 Index adding almost 1,000 points.

The stock market opened on a strong note with the KSE-100 Index gaining over 1,000 points to hit 180,863 points.

The development came a day after the benchmark index ended lower. The KSE-100 Index ended the previous trading session with a fall of 1,463 points to close at 179,846 points.