ISLAMABAD, September 25 — Around 5.8 million people have registered under the Prime Minister’s fuel relief scheme, while 4.7 million have already received subsidised fuel within eight days of its launch, Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja said on Friday.
Addressing a press conference alongside Minister of State for Finance Bilal Azhar Kayani, Shaza Fatima said around 6.1 million tokens had been generated under the programme.
She also announced that the government had removed the five-litre limit for motorcycles, rickshaws and Qingqi vehicles following feedback from the public.
The ownership requirement for motorcycle and rickshaw users operating rented vehicles has also been relaxed. Such users can now register a vehicle even if they are not its registered owners.
According to the minister, registration is required only once, while beneficiaries must obtain a token before visiting a participating petrol station.
Who Is Eligible for Fuel Relief?
The scheme covers motorcycles, rickshaws, Qingqi vehicles and cars with engine capacities of up to 800cc.
Motorcycle and rickshaw users can receive a Rs500 fuel token once every week without the previous five-litre restriction.
Eligible cars with engines of up to 800cc can receive a discount of Rs100 per litre on up to 10 litres of fuel with each token.
Shaza Fatima said the scheme effectively provides up to Rs2,000 in monthly fuel relief for motorcycle users and Rs3,000 for eligible small-car owners.
She said the Rs100-per-litre relief available to small-car users was almost equivalent to the total taxes they pay on petrol.
4.7 Million People Receive Fuel in Eight Days
According to the minister, around 4.7 million people benefited from the programme during its first eight days across Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, Islamabad, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan.
Around 23,000 people in Azad Kashmir and 5,000 in Gilgit-Baltistan had redeemed their tokens, she said, adding that the government expected participation to increase.
Shaza Fatima thanked petrol pump dealers, oil marketing companies and the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority for facilitating beneficiaries.
She also urged petrol station staff to assist eligible citizens with registration and provide them with information about the programme.
Scheme Being Monitored Through Live Dashboard
The minister said implementation was being monitored through a live dashboard, with updates received almost every four hours. Complaints and public feedback were also being tracked.
Petrol stations are being monitored through a live GIS map to identify participating outlets and resolve implementation problems.
She said the Petroleum Division, Finance Ministry, State Bank of Pakistan, Prime Minister’s Office, Ministry of Information and other institutions had worked together to make the programme operational.
The government had also addressed token-validation problems at petrol stations in areas with weak internet connectivity, she added.
Shaza Fatima said petrol stations participating in the programme were being reimbursed within a 24-hour cycle.
How to Register for PM Fuel Relief Scheme
The minister said SMS registration was free and citizens could use 9771 for registration and assistance.
Registration can be completed within minutes, after which an eligible user can obtain a token and receive fuel from a participating petrol station.
Only one vehicle can be registered against each Computerized National Identity Card (CNIC).
For cars, the vehicle must be registered against the applicant’s CNIC and have an engine capacity of up to 800cc. Eligible vehicles can qualify regardless of whether they are being used for ride-hailing or another purpose.
Vehicles registered in the name of companies are not covered by the scheme.
Shaza Fatima said provincial governments and local administrations were also overseeing implementation, with around three monitoring meetings being held each day and officials deployed on the ground.
She said the programme was designed to provide direct fuel relief to citizens affected by higher petrol prices and stressed that the facility was operational at petrol stations rather than being limited to a paper-based announcement.