“We will not leave the economically weaker section of the society alone in this hour of difficulty,” the premier vowed.

He said the federal government has decided to absorb an additional burden of Rs56 billion this week.

Several airlines have increased their ticket rates by adding extra security charges due to rising fuel costs.

The government has claimed that it has given a subsidy of Rs69 billion to the consumers of petrol and diesel in the last two weeks.

In a statement, the prime minister said the decision had been taken to reduce the financial burden on ordinary citizens.

The increase was mainly due to a sharp increase in the prices of energy products and essential food items. The data was released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).

Pakistanis are expecting relief in fuel prices from December 1 after a reduction in crude oil rates in the international market.