Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has directed authorities to cancel the licenses of petrol pumps that refuse to provide subsidized fuel to registered beneficiaries under the Prime Minister’s Fuel Relief Programme. During a high-level meeting in Islamabad on Thursday, November 5, the prime minister emphasized the necessity of ensuring that registered citizens receive the promised facilities and ordered strict action against any pumps found denying them.
The prime minister expressed satisfaction with the progress and transparency of the initiative, noting that simplifying registration and disbursement procedures has increased participation and allowed more deserving citizens to benefit. He described the technology-based and transparent scheme as a potential "game changer" for future public welfare initiatives.
According to reports from the Prime Minister’s Office, 15,519,282 citizens have registered for the program as of the meeting. This total includes 15.06 million motorcycle owners and 449,000 owners of vehicles with engine capacities up to 800cc. Of the 63,153,685 subsidy tokens issued, 59,445,347 have been redeemed. As of November 4, total disbursements under the scheme reached Rs 28.6 billion.
The prime minister commended Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima, Federal Secretary Zarrar Hashim Khan, and their team for creating a monitoring mechanism and dashboard to oversee the program. To manage complaints and provide information, separate call centers have been established for both consumers and petrol pump operators.
The Fuel Relief Programme was launched on September 13 to provide relief against rising petroleum prices caused by Middle East tensions. The government provides a subsidy of Rs100 per litre. Under the rules, owners of motorcycles, rickshaws, and Qingqis are eligible for a subsidy on up to 20 litres monthly, while owners of vehicles up to 800cc can receive relief on 30 litres monthly.
While the program initially faced resistance from petroleum dealers regarding the reimbursement mechanism, the Pakistan Petroleum Dealers Association eventually agreed to participate following government negotiations. The government subsequently eased registration requirements and introduced a complaint mechanism to resolve issues for both consumers and operators.
The meeting was attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Federal Ministers Ahad Khan Cheema, Musadik Malik, Muhammad Aurangzeb, Attaullah Tarar, and Ali Pervaiz Malik, Minister of State for Finance Bilal Azhar Kiani, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Tariq Bajwa, Special Assistant on Energy Lt. Gen (retd) Zafar Iqbal, and other senior officers.
