I Tried Showing Pakistan’s Petrol Price Problem Through AI Images with Prompts

Anyone who rides a motorcycle in Pakistan probably has the same habit at the petrol pump. Before even telling the attendant how much fuel you want, you first look up at the price board.
There’s usually a short pause.
You do the math in your head.
Maybe you decide to fill less than usual. Maybe you just sigh and ask for the same amount anyway.
Petrol prices have been creeping up for a while now, and it has quietly become part of everyday conversation. People complain about it in offices, on social media, and especially at petrol pumps.
A few days ago I was thinking about this while scrolling through AI image tools. Instead of writing another serious post about rising fuel prices, I wondered what it would look like if those everyday reactions were turned into realistic images.
So I opened Google Gemini and started experimenting with prompts. The goal wasn’t to create dramatic artwork. I wanted something that looked like a random smartphone photo taken in the middle of a normal day.
After a bit of trial and error, I ended up generating three different scenes.

Scene 1: A Random Petrol Pump Selfie

A spontaneous selfie at a petrol pump captures an awkward but oddly funny moment. Some faces look serious, while the petrol pump worker casually flashes a victory sign toward the camera.

Prompt Used:

💬 AI Prompt

Use the reference image only for the young South Asian man’s face (keep it exactly the same, no face changes or beautifying); ultra-realistic casual handheld smartphone selfie at a busy Pakistani petrol pump, four people squeezed in frame the man holding the phone at arm’s length, Nawaz Sharif sitting on a Honda CD70 getting petrol, Maryam Nawaz sitting behind him, and a petrol pump attendant flashing a victory sign, natural daylight, normal skin texture, real phone camera look, no portrait mode, no background blur, no beauty filters, vertical 9:16.

Scene 2: “Petrol Mehenga Hai” Protest

A humorous scene where exaggerated protest signs and dramatic expressions turn the frustration about petrol prices into something that looks almost like street comedy.

Prompt Used:

💬 AI Prompt

Use the reference image only for the young South Asian man’s face (keep it exactly the same, no face changes); ultra-realistic handheld smartphone selfie at a Pakistani petrol pump, four people crowded in frame Atif Aslam holding a “Petrol Mehenga Hai!” sign, Mahira Khan pretending to cry with a sign, Feroze Khan mock-angry with a sign, and the interviewer smiling for the selfie, natural daylight, real phone look, visible skin texture, casual outfits, busy petrol pump background, no portrait mode, no blur, no beauty filters, vertical 9:16.

Scene 3: The Empty Petrol Can Moment

An empty petrol can becomes the center of attention, with everyone reacting dramatically. It’s a playful way of showing the worry many drivers feel when fuel prices keep climbing.

Prompt Used:

💬 AI Prompt

Use the reference image only for the young South Asian man’s face (keep it exactly the same); ultra-realistic handheld smartphone selfie at a Pakistani petrol pump, four people in frame Atif Aslam horrified with an empty petrol can, Mahira Khan playfully despairing, interviewer pointing at the can with a cheeky grin, optional petrol pump attendant nearby, natural daylight, real phone look, visible skin texture, casual outfits, busy petrol pump background, no portrait mode, no blur, no beauty filters, vertical 9:16.

What I Learned While Generating These

The first few images actually looked too perfect. They felt like posters or advertisements rather than real photos.
That’s when I realized something interesting. Real smartphone pictures usually have small imperfections — slightly awkward angles, uneven lighting, and expressions that look a bit unplanned.
So I adjusted the prompts to include those details.
Instead of asking the AI for a “beautiful petrol pump scene,” the prompts described things like an arm stretched out for a selfie, natural daylight, and the kind of messy framing you get when someone quickly takes a picture.
Once those small details were added, the results started looking much more believable.

A Small Thought While Doing This

While generating these images, one thing kept coming to mind.
Petrol pumps in Pakistan are actually interesting places to observe everyday life. You’ll see someone arguing about prices, another person joking with the attendant, and someone else quietly waiting their turn.
Everyone reacts differently, but the situation is the same for all of them.
Maybe that’s why fuel prices become such a universal topic here. Almost everyone experiences it firsthand.

Conclusion

This little experiment started as a random idea turning a real-life frustration into a few AI-generated scenes.
What surprised me was how quickly a simple image could capture something familiar. A selfie at a petrol pump instantly tells a story most drivers in Pakistan understand without needing much explanation.
AI tools like Google Gemini are still improving, but they’re already opening up new ways for creators to experiment. Sometimes a visual scene, even a humorous one, can say more than a long paragraph ever could.
And who knows the next time petrol prices increase again, someone might turn that moment into another unexpected image.

Try Google Gemini Here:

Generate Now

This blog post and AI prompts were created by Shahbaz Ahmad.
Follow me on TikTok @Dudefrompak for more ready-to-use prompts.