Fresh data reveals that oil marketing companies (OMCs) recorded a 13% month-on-month increase in March, pushing total sales to 1.44 million tons. On a yearly scale, the growth is even more striking, with a 19% rise a clear sign that fuel demand is far from slowing down.
This trend raises an obvious question, Is the call for restraint being heard, or simply overlooked in everyday life?
Petrol consumption reached 0.67 million tons, marking a 16% annual increase, while diesel climbed to 0.62 million tons, up by 21%. These figures suggest that transport, trade, and routine mobility continue to move at a steady, if not faster pace.
Perhaps the most eye-catching shift came from furnace oil, whose sales almost doubled month-on-month, jumping by an extraordinary 98%. This spike hints at changing energy usage patterns, possibly driven by power generation needs or supply adjustments.
Looking at individual players, Pakistan State Oil (PSO) led the chart with 0.63 million tons in sales, followed by Attock Petroleum, which recorded 0.11 million tons.
Over the first nine months of the current fiscal year, total OMC sales stood at 12.40 million tons, reflecting a 5% overall increase compared to the same period last year.
In simple terms, while austerity may sound good on paper, daily routines tell a different story. People still need to commute, businesses must keep running, and goods have to move from one place to another. Fuel, in this sense, remains the quiet engine of everyday life.
The numbers, therefore, don’t just show growth, they quietly underline a reality, economic activity often speaks louder than policy slogans.
