ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday ordered the launch of a fuel subsidy scheme for owners of motorcycles, rickshaws and vehicles up to 800cc to provide relief to low-income and middle-class people amid rising petrol prices and the situation in the Gulf.
The prime minister, who chaired a high-level meeting to review progress on the PM Special Relief Scheme, also directed authorities to make the SMS required for registration free of charge.
The scheme will be launched in Islamabad in the early hours of Tuesday, September 15, while eligible motorists across the country, including Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and Gilgit-Baltistan, will be able to avail themselves of the petrol relief from the night of September 16-17.
Prime Minister Shehbaz directed the Islamabad administration, including the chief commissioner and inspector general, to remain present in the field to guide citizens through the registration process.
He also ordered the mobilisation of public representatives and volunteers across the country to assist eligible people with registration and other formalities.
The prime minister directed the government to launch an extensive awareness campaign through print, electronic, digital and social media to ensure that the relief scheme reaches the maximum number of deserving citizens.
Officials told the meeting that more than 600,000 SMS messages had been received in the Islamabad region by Monday afternoon, with 42,933 applicants successfully registered for the scheme.
According to officials, applicants are required to provide only four pieces of information for registration: CNIC number, vehicle number plate, province of registration and vehicle registration date.
The meeting was informed that full details of the scheme are available on the Urdu-language website www.pmfuelrelief.pk.
The meeting was attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, Economic Affairs Minister Ahad Cheema, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, Petroleum Minister Ali Pervez Malik, IT Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja, Minister of State for Finance Bilal Kayani, Special Assistant Tariq Bajwa and senior officials of relevant institutions.
The relief scheme comes as the government has continued to revise petroleum prices upward amid volatility in international oil markets and heightened tensions in the Gulf region, increasing pressure on fuel-dependent households and transport users.