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THREE FUEL SHIPMENTS EXPECTED TODAY AS CENTRE, PROVINCES JOIN FORCES TO MANAGE CRISIS Monday, 9 March, 2026 | 19 Ramazan, 1447
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FINANCE MINISTER AURANGZEB AND PETROLEUM MINISTER MEET SINDH AND PUNJAB CMS ON STRATEGY TO CONSERVE PETROLEUM PRODUCTS AND ENSURE UNINTERRUPTED SUPPLY ALI PERVAIZ MALIK INFORMS THREE PETROLEUM SHIPMENTS EXPECTED BY TODAY TO EASE SHORT-TERM SHORTAGES
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SINDH, PUNJAB CMS BRIEFED ON RESERVES, ALTERNATIVE SUPPLY ROUTES AMID STRAIT OF HORMUZ DISRUPTIONS OPPOSITION TTAP CALLS HIKE ‘ECONOMIC BURDEN ON PUBLIC,’ DEMANDING IMMEDIATE RELIEF
PM unveils ‘austerity plan’ today amid global fuel crisis
KP to subsidise fuel price hike for bikers; BRT fares to remain unchanged
staff report
staff report
ISLAMABAD
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KARACHI/LAHORE saleem jadoon
HREE petroleum shipments are expected to arrive in Pakistan by Monday (today), Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik informed, as the federal government delegation met with Sindh and Punjab officials on Sunday to discuss the impact of the Middle East conflict on global oil prices and fuel supply. The meeting with Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, attended by Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb and Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik, took place a day after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif directed federal minis-
ters to coordinate with provincial governments on strategies to conserve petroleum products and ensure uninterrupted supply amid concerns arising from the Israel-Iran war. According to a statement issued by CM House, the federal delegation briefed the Sindh CM on the recent fuel price hike and the status of petroleum reserves. Finance Minister Aurangzeb said Pakistan’s monthly oil import bill could rise to $600 million due to the conflict, adding that crude prices could reach $120 per barrel if tensions escalate further. Diplomatic efforts are ongoing with Saudi Arabia, Oman, and the UAE to secure alternative fuel supplies and routes bypassing the Strait of Hormuz.
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Chief Minister Sohail Afridi has announced that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) government will absorb the recent fuel price increase for motorcycles and will keep fares for the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system unchanged. Speaking at a press conference, CM Afridi stated that the provincial government has decided to bear the impact of the fuel price hike for motorcycle users. He emphasized that this measure is aimed at providing relief to the public amid rising fuel costs. Additionally, he confirmed that there will be no increase in BRT fares, ensuring continued affordability for daily commuters. In a move to improve public transport facilities for women, the chief minister also announced the introduction of 10 new pink buses in the BRT fleet. These buses are designated exclusively for female passengers, aiming to enhance safety and comfort for women using public transportation in Peshawar. Furthermore, CM Afridi revealed that the government will provide solar systems to 130,000 households across the province.
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g DEATH TOLL RISES TO PRESIDENT TRUMP WARNS 1,332 IN IRAN, WITH NEXT IRANIAN SUPREME CASUALTIES ACROSS GULF, LEADER WOULD NOT LAST ISRAEL, AND US FORCES LONG WITHOUT HIS APPROVAL
g IRANIAN FM DEMANDS IRANIAN DRONE ATTACKS APOLOGY FROM US HIT BAHRAIN PRESIDENT, SAYING IRANIAN DESALINATION PLANT; PEOPLE, NOT DONALD TRUMP, IRAN VOWS RETALIATION WILL ELECT THEIR NEW LEADER OVER GULF TARGETS
TEHRAN/WASHINGTON/TEL AVIV agencies / staff report
The US and Israel continued their strikes on Iran on Sunday, targeting oil storage depots and refining facilities, as US President Donald Trump warned that the next Iranian supreme leader would not last long without his approval. Tehran, meanwhile, is preparing to reveal the successor to the slain Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The war has now entered its ninth day, with the death toll in Iran rising to 1,332. Across the Gulf, at least 11 civilians have been killed, while 11 were killed in Israel and six US soldiers have died to date. Iranian Foreign Minister stated that the Iranian people, not Donald Trump, will elect their new leader, and demanded an apology from the US president for initiating the conflict, AFP reported. Iranian and Gulf Targets Hit An Iranian drone attack caused material damage to a water desalination plant in Bahrain, according to the country’s Interior Ministry, following a US strike on a freshwater desalination plant on Qeshm Island in southern Iran. Tehran called the US strike a “precedent” in the conflict. The clerical body tasked with selecting Iran’s next supreme leader has reportedly reached a majority consensus, a member confirmed. Gulf states — Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE — reported additional Iranian strikes, after Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian pledged to halt attacks on Gulf nations if no aggression originates from their territories. In Lebanon, an Israeli air raid on a hotel in Beirut killed at least four people. Bahrain Condemns Iranian Attacks at UN Bahrain condemned the Iranian
attacks at a UN Security Council briefing. Ambassador Jamal Fares Al Ruwaie called the strikes “unjustified and heinous,” warning they threaten regional security and energy infrastructure, including the Strait of Hormuz. Israel Vows Prolonged Offensive An Israeli army spokesman, Effie Defrin, said operations against the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp (IRGC) could continue “for a long time.” He confirmed Israel struck fuel storage facilities near Tehran and claimed it destroyed Iran’s military headquarters completely. Families of IRGC personnel were warned to leave Lebanon. “These attacks will target every individual and personnel of the IRGC. They have no place to hide in Iran, Lebanon, or anywhere,” he said. Macron Urges Ceasefire French President Emmanuel Macron called Masoud Pezeshkian, urging Iran to immediately cease strikes and guarantee freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz. Macron stressed the safety and repatriation of a French couple within the French Embassy was a top priority, while reiterating concerns over Iran’s nuclear and ballis-
PESHAWAR
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday said the government would unveil “an austerity plan” on Monday (today) in view of the prevailing global fuel crisis triggered by the US/Israel-Iran war, state media reported. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif chaired a meeting from Lahore to review the “proposed austerity plan,” according to a press release issued by the PMO on Sunday. “The meeting was apprised that the final plan regarding austerity and savings will be announced today,” the statement confirmed. On Friday, the government announced an increase of up to Rs55 in petroleum product prices amid the regional energy crisis. The meeting was informed that the country currently has adequate reserves of petrol and diesel, and the government has already taken precautionary steps to deal with any emergency situation. The statement added that a contingency plan had also been prepared under which work-from-home arrangements and distance learning were proposed until the situation returns to normal.
US-Israel strikes rage across Iran as supreme leader succession looms g
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tic programs and “destabilising activities” in the region. Civilian Sites Targeted Pirhoussein Koulivand, head of the Iran Red Crescent Society, reported 65 schools and 32 medical facilities struck since the war began, among nearly 10,000 civilian sites damaged. The Israeli military claimed it hit more than 3,400 targets in Iran. US CENTCOM spokesman Tim Hawkins denied targeting civilians, accusing Iran of deliberately putting civilians at risk. Heavy Losses at Sea The Iranian army said 104 personnel were killed and 32 wounded in a US attack on the frigate Dena off the coast of Sri Lanka last week. The attack occurred approximately 19 nautical miles from Galle, widening Washington’s campaign against Iran’s navy. IRGC Condemns Attacks A spokesman for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp described the strikes as “criminal aggression” by the US and Israel, targeting civilians and energy infrastructure, while warning Islamic countries to intervene to prevent further escalation.
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Security forces kill 13 terrorists in IBOs across KP ISLAMABAD
staff report
Security forces have killed 13 terrorists in a series of intelligence-based operations (IBOs) conducted across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, according to statements released by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR). The ISPR stated that the operations took place in five separate engagements in the districts of Bajaur, Bannu, and Dera Ismail Khan. The military spokesperson said the terrorists were linked to what was described as the “Indian proxy Fitna Al Khwarij.”
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