ISLAMABAD, September 4, 2026: The Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) has decreased the prices of petroleum products, issuing a notification for the revised rates, ARY News reported.

According to the notification, the petrol price has been reduced by Rs3.13 per litre, bringing the new price to Rs345.87 per litre.

Meanwhile, the diesel price has been increased by Rs3.74 per litre. The new price of diesel has been fixed at Rs378.05 per litre.

The revised petroleum product prices have been notified by OGRA.

Earlier, Federal Minister for Petroleum Ali Pervaiz Malik held separate meetings with the leadership of the Overseas Investors Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OICCI) and the management of Pakistan State Oil (PSO) in Karachi, reviewing key developments in Pakistan’s petroleum sector, energy security, investment opportunities and ongoing reforms.

During his visit to OICCI, the Minister met the Chamber’s senior leadership, industry stakeholders and representatives of foreign investors. The meeting was also attended by prominent media representatives, who participated in discussions on developments, reforms and investment opportunities in the petroleum sector.

The Minister briefed participants on the government’s efforts to strengthen exploration, modernize refining infrastructure and advance reforms across the petroleum sector. He highlighted the government’s efforts for energy security, including bonded storage and strategic petroleum reserves initiatives.

“Our objective is to build a petroleum sector that is more competitive, investment-oriented and responsive to Pakistan’s long-term energy requirements. We are pursuing reforms across exploration, refining and downstream markets, while engaging closely with industry stakeholders to address practical challenges and create an environment that can attract substantial domestic and foreign investment,” said Federal Minister for Petroleum Ali Pervaiz Malik.

OICCI members shared industry perspectives and remarked that consistency of policy and tax framework, along with transparency and adequate security, were important for strengthening investor confidence.

“The petroleum sector is critical to Pakistan’s economic activity and investment ecosystem. We appreciate the Minister’s engagement with the business community and believe continued dialogue can help address practical industry matters while supporting the government’s reform and investment objectives,” said Yousaf Hussain, President OICCI.

ISLAMABAD, September 4, 2026: Pakistan’s inflation rate increased by a further 0.65 percent during the past week, according to the latest weekly inflation report released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, ARY News reported.

The report said the overall annual inflation rate has reached 8.35 percent.

Prices of 17 essential items increased during the week, while prices of seven items declined.

Among the items that became more expensive, onions recorded the highest increase of 26.30 percent, followed by tomatoes at 2.55 percent. Chicken prices rose by 0.85 percent, while mash pulse became 0.67 percent more expensive and garlic prices increased by 0.18 percent.

Meanwhile, banana prices declined by 2.54 percent, while moong pulse became cheaper by 0.69 percent. Sugar prices fell by 0.18 percent, eggs by 0.11 percent and LPG by 0.45 percent.

According to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, prices of 27 items remained stable during the latest week.

On June 17, 2026, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb expressed optimism about Pakistan’s economic outlook, stating that a sustained US-Iran peace agreement and lower global oil prices could help reduce inflation and support stronger economic growth in the coming fiscal year.

Speaking in ARY News program Khabar, Muhammad Aurangzeb said the Pakistan government had successfully managed the immediate economic consequences of the recent regional conflict, ensuring that there were no fuel shortages, supply disruptions, long queues or significant law-and-order issues.

The minister noted that earlier this year, economic institutions, including the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Planning and the State Bank of Pakistan, had expected the economy to grow between 3.75 and 4.75 per cent during the current fiscal year. However, prolonged regional tensions over recent months had adversely affected economic activity, resulting in growth slowing to approximately 3.7 per cent.

Muhammad Aurangzeb said inflation had also been affected by rising imported costs, particularly during March and April, when price pressures increased and inflation briefly returned to double-digit levels. These developments contributed to the State Bank’s decision to maintain a relatively high policy rate, which currently stands at 11.5 per cent.

Looking ahead, the finance minister said the government’s economic projections for the next fiscal year—including a growth target of 4 per cent and an inflation target of 8.2 per cent—had been formulated while taking into account the potential economic risks arising from continued conflict.

KARACHI: A cyber security expert has shared crucial protective measures to prevent WhatsApp accounts from being hacked and outlined actionable steps to take if an account is compromised.

Speaking on ARY News’ program Good Morning Pakistan, cyber expert Asif Iqbal provided vital tips on WhatsApp security and explained how users can regain control of a hacked account.

He emphasized that instead of panicking over social media security breaches, users should focus on precautionary measures and immediately contact relevant government institutions to resolve issues.

Iqbal noted that most WhatsApp hacking incidents occur due to user unawareness and negligence, which hackers exploit using deceptive tactics.

He highlighted several key steps for securing and recovering a WhatsApp account:

• Two-Factor Authentication: Always enable two-factor authentication on WhatsApp and other social media platforms to prevent unauthorized access.

• Email Linking: Always link an email address to your WhatsApp account. A linked email enables recovery within 10 to 15 minutes if an account is hacked.

• SIM Card Restoration: Users can also recover their WhatsApp account using the registered SIM card about an hour after a hacking incident occurs.

• iPhone vs. Android Recovery: iPhone users seeking immediate account recovery may need to use an Android device to send the necessary recovery email and complete the process.

• Support from Cyber Agencies: Government institutions like the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) have experts who can resolve recovery issues within 15 to 30 minutes. Affected users should contact cyber agencies promptly rather than panicking.

• Preventing Financial Fraud: Following a hack, perpetrators often message contacts on the victim’s account demanding money via Easypaisa or bank transfers. Users should save these bank details and account numbers to provide to cyber agencies so the hackers can be traced through financial transactions.

• Privacy Settings: Users must configure appropriate privacy settings before sharing personal photos and videos on social media to ensure strangers cannot access their private data.