PML-N MPA Hina Parvez Butt says petrol price reached Rs400 per litre during PTI tenure

Rating Justification

The iVerify Pakistan reviewed this content and determined that it is false.

To reach this conclusion, iVerify Pakistan reviewed the official records of petroleum, oil, and lubricants prices.

PML-N MPA Hina Parvez Butt claimed while speaking to the media outside the Punjab Assembly on June 16, 2025, that petrol price had reached a high of Rs400 per litre during the PTI government. However, official records show that the highest price during that period was Rs159.86 over nearly four years.

The Finance Division announced significant hikes in fuel prices on June 15, raising petrol by Rs4.80 and high-speed diesel (HSD) by Rs7.95 per litre. The new prices were implemented based on recommendations from the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority and relevant ministries.

Effective from June 16, the price of HSD has increased from Rs254.64 to Rs262.59 per litre, while petrol has gone up from Rs253.63 to Rs258.43 per litre.

HOW IT STARTED

On June 16, digital news outlet Azaad Digital Urdu shared a 1:51-minute clip in which Butt targeted her party’s opponents, saying: “Do you know that during the PTI rule, petrol prices went up to Rs400? They are much lower now.”

The caption of the post said: “In this budget, the public will be given relief. Petrol prices will be reduced. During the PTI government, petrol prices had gone up to Rs400 – Member Punjab Assembly Hina Parvez Butt.”

The post received 13,100 views.

The clip was widely shared and criticised by PTI supporters as can be seen here, here, here, here, here and here, collectively garnering 323,900 views.

The claim was also shared by digital media outlet Siasat.pk, gaining 54,900 views.

METHODOLOGY

A fact-check was initiated to verify the claim made by the Punjab lawmaker due to the high figure she quoted and keen public interest in comparing the economic performance of the PTI government with the incumbent PML-N government.

Imran Khan assumed office as prime minister on August 18, 2018, and was removed in April 2022 through a no-confidence motion.

Checking Pakistan State Oil’s official records of the specific time period for petroleum, oil and lubricants showed the following patterns:

During the PTI government’s tenure from August 2018 to April 2022, petrol prices in Pakistan experienced a mix of gradual increases, sharp declines, and steady climbs.

When Imran took office in August 2018, the price of petrol stood at Rs92.83 per litre.

Throughout 2019, prices saw a steady increase, peaking at Rs117.83 in August and ending the year at Rs113.99 in December.

The year 2020 marked a dramatic shift. Prices started at Rs116.60 in January, but due to the Covid-19 pandemic and global oil demand collapse, prices dropped sharply to Rs74.52 in June. They slowly recovered in the second half, ending the year at Rs100.69 in December.

A recovery year for fuel prices in 2021, petrol began at Rs106.00 in January and steadily rose to Rs145.82 by November, before ending the year slightly lower at Rs140.82 in mid-December.

In the final months of the PTI’s tenure, prices peaked at Rs159.86 in February 2022 — the highest during its government. Prices then decreased slightly to Rs149.86 by March and stayed at that level through mid-April.

Later, the Pakistan Democratic Movement government, a coalition of opposition parties, held power from April 2022 to August 2023.

In this duration, petrol prices experienced a significant upward trend. Starting at Rs233.91 in mid-August 2022, prices gradually climbed, crossing Rs270 by May 2023 and reaching Rs290.45 by August 16, 2023.

The sharpest increases occurred in early 2023, with rates jumping from Rs249.80 in late January to Rs282.00 by mid-April. Although there were minor fluctuations — such as a brief dip to Rs253.00 in mid-July — prices overall remained elevated, consistently hovering above Rs260 for much of the year.

Interestingly, the highest petrol price recorded after the removal of Imran-led government was Rs331.38 in September 2023, during the tenure of the caretaker government led by then-caretaker prime minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar, the first time in the country’s history.

The documented records show that during the three years and eight months of the PTI government, petrol prices never rose to Rs400.

FACT-CHECK STATUS: FALSE

The claim made by PML-N MPA Hina Parvez Butt that petrol price had reached Rs400 per litre during the PTI’s tenure is false.

Official records show that the highest petrol price during that period was Rs159.86 per litre in Feb 2022 while the highest price in the country’s history was Rs331.38 during the caretaker government in September 2023.

Evidence and References

Official record of PSO’s petroleum, oil and lubricant prices:
https://psopk.com/fuel-prices/pol/archives?page=10