PM Shehbaz Sharif: Government Committed to Maximum Public Relief During Difficult Times

Islamabad: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif chaired a high-level meeting to review the implementation of subsidies on petroleum products amid recent regional tensions and rising domestic fuel costs.

During the meeting, officials briefed the prime minister on the progress of subsidy distribution, national fuel reserves, and consumption patterns. PM Shehbaz Sharif highlighted that passenger buses are receiving a monthly subsidy of PKR 100,000, while mini-buses and wagons receive PKR 40,000, ensuring fare increases are avoided. To stabilize prices of essential goods, trucks are provided PKR 70,000, large cargo vehicles PKR 80,000, and delivery vans PKR 35,000 per month.

For transparency, all subsidy payments are being disbursed via digital wallets, with instructions for immediate release already initiated. Although the subsidies were originally scheduled for Monday, the Prime Minister ordered early distribution starting on the weekend. Provincial governments provided detailed information on trucks, buses, and cargo vehicles to facilitate the process.

PM Shehbaz Sharif praised the government of Balochistan for promptly contributing their share to the national relief package and expressed hope that other provinces would follow suit. Over the past three weeks, a total of PKR 129 billion has been allocated for public relief, ensuring citizens are not left unsupported during difficult times.

Additional relief measures include an immediate reduction of PKR 80 per liter in the petrol levy, a PKR 6 billion subsidy by Pakistan Railways to maintain passenger and cargo train fares, and the reversal of a 25% quarterly increase in toll taxes.

The meeting also received reports from the Intelligence Bureau on the implementation of austerity and efficiency measures across government departments.

The session was attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, federal ministers including Dr. Musadik Malik, Attaullah Tarar, Ali Pervaiz Malik, Ahad Khan Cheema, Muhammad Aurangzeb, Ahsan Iqbal, Shaza Fatima Khawaja, Minister of State Bilal Azhar Kiani, Special Assistants Talha Burki and Tariq Bajwa, the DG of IB, and other senior officials.

The Prime Minister emphasized that, “During this challenging period, we will continue to take all possible steps to provide maximum relief to the public