The Prime Minister has instructed provincial authorities to assist motorcycle and rickshaw owners with vehicle registration.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday once again urged citizens to avoid non-essential travel and support the government’s austerity drive, launched in response to the ongoing Middle East crisis stemming from the US-Israel conflict with Iran.
The premier made the appeal while chairing a review meeting on fuel conservation amid the evolving regional situation, according to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office.
The meeting evaluated the implementation of measures aimed at fuel savings and austerity. The Prime Minister emphasized that sufficient petroleum stocks were available in the country due to timely government decisions.
He added that providing relief to the public remained a top priority and noted that the government had extended maximum possible support to citizens over the past three weeks.
To mitigate the impact of rising global oil prices, the federal government allocated Rs125 billion through savings and development budget cuts, aiming to prevent increases in petroleum prices and shield the public from the direct effects of international tensions.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif urged the public to support the fuel conservation campaign by avoiding non-essential travel and prioritizing teleconferencing at offices and workplaces.
He also directed provincial governments to assist motorcycle and rickshaw owners in registering their vehicles in their own names, highlighting that this would help digitize data nationwide and allow owners to benefit from future relief programmes.
The Prime Minister further instructed authorities to enhance coordination with chief secretaries of all four provinces, as well as Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan.
During the meeting, officials briefed participants on the progress of austerity measures, noting that petroleum supply and demand, along with the entire supply chain, were being monitored via a digital dashboard. Arrangements for April fuel imports had already been finalized.
Officials added that, unlike many other countries, Pakistan had not experienced long queues or mismanagement in fuel supply, crediting effective government planning and timely actions.
A briefing was also given on a prepared application for a proposed fuel support programme targeting motorcycle riders and rickshaw drivers.
The video-linked meeting was attended by “,”Pakistani politician”], federal ministers including Ahsan Iqbal and Attaullah Tarar, Special Assistant Tariq Bajwa, State Bank Governor Jameel Ahmad, and other senior officials.
Two days earlier, PM Shehbaz Sharif rejected a summary proposing another hike in petrol and high-speed diesel (HSD) prices despite rising global oil rates.
Addressing the nation, he stated that the summary sought an increase of Rs95 per litre for petrol and Rs203 per litre for diesel.
The Prime Minister confirmed that he had rejected the proposal and that the government would absorb the additional cost rather than passing it on to the public.
He explained that petrol should cost Rs544 per litre, but the government is providing it at Rs322 per litre, while diesel, which should be Rs790 per litre, is being sold at Rs335 per litre.
About the Author
