'Fuel of the poor' LPG soars in Pakistan, forcing rickshaw drivers to cut meals

Business Recorder reported that a 12-kg LPG cylinder rose 56% to 7,000 rupees in the open market after Iranian border crossings closed on October 17, interrupting imports. The Pakistan LPG Association said the country had been receiving about 7,000 metric tons daily from Iran, while traders linked the price surge to the import disruption.

The higher fuel bill is squeezing Lahore rickshaw driver Rashid Ali’s income: he now earns as little as $3 a day, compared with $6.50 previously, and his family has reduced meals. Around 70% of the Awami Rickshaw Union’s 43,000 auto-rickshaws and nearly 8,000 Qingqis use LPG, according to its chairman; drivers also report passengers resisting fare increases. The report places the fuel shock alongside October inflation of 9.6% and the central bank’s recent rate increase to 12%.