ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has announced that Pakistan’s fuel subsidy scheme will continue to provide relief to eligible citizens, with more than 10 million people having benefited from the initiative at least once.
Addressing a reception and luncheon held in honour of ministers and officials involved in implementing the programme, the prime minister praised federal and provincial governments for their cooperation in delivering subsidies directly to beneficiaries through a digital and transparent system.
Shehbaz Sharif said the government had allocated Rs75 billion for the scheme and reaffirmed its commitment to continuing the initiative for public relief.
He described the programme as the result of teamwork and sustained efforts by federal ministries, provincial administrations and relevant institutions. He also thanked provincial chief ministers and their teams for providing administrative and financial support.
The prime minister recalled that a similar relief initiative had been introduced when the conflict began in February. At its peak, the earlier programme issued around 1.3 million tokens. He said there had been concerns that the latest scheme could also face delays because of the large number of potential beneficiaries, including motorcycle, rickshaw and small-car owners.
However, coordinated efforts by federal and provincial authorities helped expand the programme, taking the number of people who had benefited at least once beyond 10 million.
More Than 10 Million Citizens Registered
According to figures shared by the prime minister, more than 10.88 million citizens have registered for the scheme, while approximately 10.12 million people have received vouchers.
A total of 27 million tokens have been issued, of which around 19.4 million have been used by citizens to purchase petrol at subsidised rates. The figures also showed that approximately 9.277 million citizens had received and used tokens more than once.
Shehbaz Sharif added that around 96 per cent of motorcycle riders had benefited from the initiative.
Under the programme, eligible motorcycle, Qingqi, rickshaw and 800cc car owners have been receiving a monthly fuel benefit of Rs2,000, according to figures cited in the address.
Relief Extends to Millions of Households
The prime minister said the scheme was providing both direct and indirect relief to households. Based on an average household size of five people, he estimated that the benefits could extend to around 50 million people, including family members who depend on subsidised transport.
He acknowledged the contributions of the Petroleum Division, Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA), State Bank of Pakistan, National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA), Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) and telecommunications operators.
The prime minister also thanked Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, IT Minister Shaza Fatima, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, Minister of State for Finance Bilal Azhar Kiani, and officials from the relevant ministries for their role in implementing the scheme.
Shehbaz Sharif said the cooperation between federal and provincial authorities had been central to the programme’s implementation and reiterated that the initiative would continue to provide relief to eligible citizens.