- 125 billion rupees were allocated to protect consumers from price hikes.
- The provinces asked to register bicycles and rickshaws to receive help.
- The digital dashboard monitors fuel demand and imports for April.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday once again urged citizens to avoid unnecessary travel and support the government’s austerity drive, introduced in the wake of the ongoing crisis in the Middle East due to the US-Israel war against Iran.
The prime minister made the call while chairing a review meeting on fuel conservation amid the evolving regional situation, according to a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office.
The meeting reviewed the implementation of measures aimed at fuel savings and austerity, and the prime minister said there were sufficient oil reserves available in the country thanks to timely government decisions.
He said providing public aid remained a top priority in the current situation, adding that the government had extended maximum possible aid to citizens over the past three weeks.
To cushion the impact of rising global oil prices, the federal government allocated Rs 125 billion through savings and development budget cuts to prevent a rise in oil prices and protect the public from the direct effects of international tensions.
He appealed to the public to support the conservation campaign by avoiding unnecessary travel and prioritizing teleconferencing in offices and workplaces.
Chief Minister Shehbaz also directed provincial governments to make it easier for motorcycle and rickshaw owners to register vehicles in their own names, noting that this would help digitize data across the country and enable owners to benefit from future relief measures.
He further directed the authorities to enhance coordination with the chief secretaries of the four provinces as well as Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan.
The meeting was briefed on progress on austerity measures, and officials informed participants that oil supply and demand, along with the entire supply chain, were being regularly monitored via a digital dashboard, while agreements for April fuel imports had already been finalized.
Officials said that unlike other countries, Pakistan had not witnessed long queues or mismanagement in fuel supply, attributing this to effective government planning and timely actions.
An application prepared for the proposed fuel support program targeting motorcyclists and rickshaw drivers was also reported.
The meeting, held through video link, was attended by Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, federal ministers including Ahsan Iqbal and Attaullah Tarar, Special Assistant Tariq Bajwa, State Bank Governor Jameel Ahmad and other senior officials.
Two days earlier, Chief Minister Shehbaz rejected a brief to once again increase prices of petrol and high-speed diesel (HSD), despite rising global oil prices.
Addressing the nation, the prime minister said he has received a summary requesting an increase of Rs 95 per liter for petrol and Rs 203 per liter for diesel.
However, the prime minister said he had rejected the summary and the government would bear the additional cost rather than passing it on to the public.
He said petrol should cost Rs 544 per liter today, but the government is providing it at Rs 322 per litre. Similarly, diesel should cost Rs 790 per liter but is sold at Rs 335 per litre.
