The moment the news of yet another petrol price hike broke, the first instinct was not outrage but inquiry. Was there really no room for relief? Could the government have done more? In a deeply polarized environment, opinions abound, but credibility is scarce. Who should one trust? My first thought turned to Shahid Khaqan Abbasi. One might also consider Miftah Ismail, but some of his past assessments have felt detached from ground realities. Abbasi, on the other hand, presents a different case. No longer bound by party lines, often critical of his own former political camp, measured in tone, and well-versed in economic matters, he is not easily swayed by the hysteria of politics. A quick look at X revealed his stance. He pointed out that even during the Gulf War between Kuwait and Iraq, petrol prices in Pakistan had doubled, despite it being a limited regional conflict. Today’s situation, he argued, is far more complex, involving multiple regional players and major global powers. In such circumstances, sustaining a weekly subsidy of 60 billion rupees was simply not feasible, especially when it benefitted both the rich and the poor alike. The price increase, therefore, was not a choice but a compulsion to prevent further strain on the economy. More strikingly, he noted that despite rising prices, petrol consumption had increased by 19 percent over the past year, raising uncomfortable questions about our collective habits. Still, doubts lingered. I reached out to a former petroleum secretary, a seasoned professional who had long dealt with the intricacies of the sector. Setting politics aside, I posed a simple question: if Pakistani oil shipments are not being blocked in the Strait of Hormuz, and our tankers are passing through, what justifies the price hike? His answer was sobering. Petroleum pricing, he explained, is not determined merely by whether ships pass or not. It is shaped by a web of global factors. If oil prices rise internationally, they rise for Pakistan as well. If tensions escalate in critical chokepoints like the Strait of Hormuz, shipping costs increase. Insurance premiums go up, regardless of whether a particular shipment faces immediate danger or not. Add to this the fluctuation........

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