ISLAMABAD    -    Minister of State for Petroleum Dr Musadik Malik said on Sunday that the country would receive its first consignment of crude oil from Russia next month. The state minister made these remarks while talking to a pri­vate news channel.

Malik said that the incumbent government had finalised talks with Russia, adding that the first shipment will reach Pakistan next month through a cargo. He assured that the government would sell cheap oil after receiv­ing this shipment. “People will get relief from the [petrol] price hike after the arrival of oil from Moscow,” Musadik Malik added.

In reply to a question about rationalizing power and gas tariff, the minister said that the government will introduce a different tariff for the poor and elite class. The government had finalised a strategy in this regard and would issue separate billing for poor and rich class­es, he said. Russia had conceptually agreed in January to supply crude oil and oil products to cash-strapped Pakistan at cheaper rates and signed several memoranda of understand­ing with Pakistan’s energy ministry. Following the signing of the deals, Pakistan said it want­ed to import about 30 to 35 percent of its total crude oil requirement from Russia.