Pakistan’s petrol prices have hit a painful high, and one food delivery rider’s creative response has gone viral. Pakistan recently raised petrol prices by 55 rupees to over 320 rupees per liter, passing on the impact of surging global oil costs to consumers as tensions threaten supplies through the Strait of Hormuz.
For Foodpanda riders across the country, this hike has turned daily work into a financial struggle. A 23-year-old rider named Mohammad Mohsin, who used to earn around Rs 1,500 a day, saw his earnings shrink to roughly Rs 1,100 after petrol costs jumped, with a large portion of what he makes now going straight to fuel.
Another rider, Hizbullah, said the crisis has stripped away even basic comforts, leaving his family unable to buy clothes or shoes for Eid and forcing them to depend on free iftar meals to get through Ramadan.
Against this difficult backdrop, the image of a Foodpanda rider on horseback struck a chord with thousands online, a humorous yet painfully real reflection of Pakistan’s cost-of-living crisis. While the image appears to be AI-generated satire, the underlying reality it captures is very real.
Delivery platforms say they are taking steps to support riders, but workers say the measures haven’t kept pace with rising costs. As fuel prices remain volatile, Pakistan’s gig economy workers continue to bear the heaviest burden.
