ISLAMABAD, MAR 13: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday announced that the government decided against increasing petroleum product prices despite surge in global oil rates, saying the move aimed to ease financial burden on citizens.

The statement comes as the federal government was scheduled to review the fuel prices on March 13 (today).

On March 6, the government had raised petrol and diesel prices by Rs55 per litre each as surging global oil prices, fuelled by the US Israel war with Iran, put pressure on domestic energy costs.

At the time, the petroleum minister said that the government would reduce prices promptly once the situation improved.

However, PM Shehbaz said today that the ongoing regional tensions are keeping the global economy under pressure, which could significantly affect Pakistan’s financial stability, state media reported.

“Through timely policy-making and strict fiscal discipline, we are striving to manage the situation effectively,” he added.

The premier said that the government was making efforts to deliver as much relief to the public as possible.

He added that the government was taking austerity and fuel-conserving measures to shield citizens from rising costs.

The sharp increase in the domestic petroleum prices and another potential hike in the global oil prices led the government to announce an austerity plan.

In an address to the nation on March 9, the prime minister said the measures were necessary to deal with the prevailing global fuel crisis triggered by the ongoing US-Israel-Iran conflict.

PM Shehbaz then announced that both the federal and provincial governments would adopt austerity and simplicity to reduce expenditures and conserve energy during the challenging economic situation.

The measures included cutting government expenditures, reducing the working week to four days, and reducing non-essential movement.

KARACHI, MAR 13: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) senior leader Nehal Hashmi on Friday took oath as the Sindh governor, replacing MQM-P’s Kamran Khan Tessori.

Sindh High Court Chief Justice Zafar Ahmed Rajput administered the oath to Hashmi in a ceremony at the Governor House in Karachi.

ISLAMABAD, MAR 13 /DNA/ – As the Middle East enters its third week of intensifying conflict, Pakistan has launched a full-court diplomatic press, with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif embarking on a critical one-day visit to Saudi Arabia on Thursday. The visit underscores Islamabad’s urgent push for de-escalation and a return to dialogue in a region reeling from a series of armed attacks and rising tensions.

According to a press briefing by the Foreign Office spokesperson, the Prime Minister, accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Muhammad Ishaq Dar, will meet with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh. The visit is framed as part of ongoing high-level coordination between the longtime allies on matters of regional peace and security, with a specific focus on “ending violence and hostilities.”

This diplomatic mission follows a flurry of telephone diplomacy by the Pakistani leadership over the past two weeks, engaging with counterparts across the region and beyond.

A Region on Edge

The current wave of hostilities, which the Foreign Office traced back to February 28, began with an Israeli attack on Iran, followed by retaliatory strikes and subsequent attacks involving several Gulf nations, as well as Türkiye and Azerbaijan. The briefing painted a picture of a volatile situation, with Pakistan expressing serious concern over “unprovoked attacks” that it said “constitute blatant violations of the sovereignty of the brotherly Gulf States.”

Pakistan has officially condemned the initial attacks on Iran, while also strongly condemning Iranian retaliatory strikes on Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, and the UAE. The conflict has already had direct consequences for Pakistan, with the Foreign Office confirming the deaths of two Pakistani nationals in the UAE and initiating efforts to repatriate their remains.

A Whirlwind of Diplomacy

The briefing detailed an exhaustive list of high-level calls made by both Prime Minister Sharif and Deputy PM Dar over the last 12 days, revealing Pakistan’s multifaceted effort to navigate the crisis.

• With Gulf Nations: The Prime Minister has spoken with the leaders of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Jordan, Bahrain, Oman, and Kuwait, reaffirming Pakistan’s “full solidarity and support” and underscoring the “need for maximum restraint.”
• With Iran: In a significant move, PM Sharif spoke with Iranian President Masood Pezeshkian on Wednesday. The conversation included condolences on the reported martyrdom of Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei and congratulations to his successor, His Eminence Mojtaba Khamenei. Deputy PM Dar has spoken with his Iranian counterpart three times since the crisis began.
• With Others Affected: The Prime Minister condemned Israeli aggression against Lebanon in a call with its Prime Minister and strongly denounced drone attacks on Azerbaijan’s Nakhchivan exclave in a conversation with President Ilham Aliyev.
• Broader Engagement: The diplomatic outreach has extended beyond the immediate conflict zone, with calls to the leaders of Türkiye, Malaysia, Egypt, Canada, China, and Bangladesh, as well as the Commonwealth Secretary-General and the GCC.

Ensuring Citizen Safety

Amid the diplomatic push, the government has activated a Crisis Management Unit (CMU) at the Foreign Ministry. Special facilitation desks have been set up at Pakistan’s missions abroad to assist stranded nationals with visas, logistics, and travel arrangements. The Prime Minister has issued clear directives to prioritize community assistance, with missions launching dedicated apps, registration portals, and helplines.

Concern Over Canada-India Nuclear Deal

In a separate but significant statement, Pakistan expressed strong concern over the long-term uranium supply agreement between Canada and India. The Foreign Office criticized the deal as another “country-specific exception” in civil nuclear cooperation.

“It is particularly ironic given that India’s 1974 nuclear test, conducted using plutonium produced in a reactor supplied by Canada for peaceful purposes, had led directly to the establishment of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG),” the spokesperson stated.

Pakistan argued that the deal allows India to use its domestic uranium for military purposes, thereby expanding its nuclear arsenal and destabilizing the strategic balance in South Asia. Islamabad reiterated its call for a non-discriminatory, criteria-based approach for civil nuclear cooperation with non-signatories of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

ISLAMABAD, MAR 11: Eid ul Fitr 2026 is likely to fall on March 21 in Pakistan after a 30-day Ramadan, with experts saying the chances of sighting the Shawwal crescent on the evening of March 19 are low.

“The new moon of Shawwal 1447 AH is expected to be born on March 19, 2026, at 06:23 PST,” the Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (Suparco) said on Wednesday.

“At the time of sunset on March 19, 2026, the age of the new moon will be approximately 12 hours and 41 minutes, with an estimated 28-minute interval between sunset and moonset along Pakistan’s coastal belt,” it added.

Based on these astronomical parameters, the Suparco said, the chances of sighting the Shawwal crescent on the evening of March 19 were “low”.

The first Shawwal is therefore anticipated to fall on Saturday, March 21, marking the conclusion of the holy month of Ramadan.

However, Suparco said the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee of Pakistan will make the final decision regarding the sighting of the crescent and the commencement of Eid ul Fitr across the country.

The Muslim world welcomes Eid ul Fitr with deep religious devotion, after over a billion believers fast for a month to practice patience, self-discipline, and generosity.

Pakistan began the first fast of Ramadan 2026 on February 19, following the announcement of the crescent moon sighting by Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee Chairman Maulana Abdul Khabeer Azad.

Islamic months last 29 or 30 days, with their start and end determined by the sighting of the crescent moon, so Ramadan does not fall on the same Gregorian date each year.

As the ninth month of the 12-month Islamic calendar — which is about 10 days shorter than the Gregorian year due to its lunar basis — Ramadan shifts annually across the Gregorian calendar.