ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has directed the establishment of facilitation desks at petrol stations across Pakistan to help eligible citizens register for and receive fuel subsidies under the PM Special Relief Scheme.
The scheme, which provides fuel subsidies to owners of motorcycles, rickshaws and vehicles up to 800cc, has now been launched nationwide, including Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and Gilgit-Baltistan.
The prime minister issued the directives while chairing a review meeting on Wednesday to assess the implementation of the fuel subsidy scheme aimed at providing relief to low- and middle-income groups facing the impact of higher petroleum prices amid the situation in the Gulf.
Under the directives, the facilitation desks will be established at petrol stations and staffed by officials from the local administration, volunteers and petrol station personnel. The staff will assist eligible citizens with registration and guide them about the requirements and procedure for availing the fuel subsidy.
The prime minister also directed the relevant authorities to intensify public awareness efforts so that eligible citizens are provided complete information about the relief scheme and can benefit from the subsidy without unnecessary difficulty.
The meeting was informed that the scheme was initially piloted in Islamabad before being expanded to the rest of the country. It has now been rolled out nationwide, including AJK and Gilgit-Baltistan.
Officials briefed the meeting that the registration process had been kept simple and requires only four pieces of information from applicants: their Computerised National Identity Card (CNIC) number, vehicle number plate, province of registration and date of vehicle registration.
The meeting was informed that the number of successful registrations was gradually increasing following the nationwide rollout of the scheme.
Provincial governments are also cooperating with the federal government in implementing the fuel relief programme and facilitating eligible citizens in their respective areas.
The PM Special Relief Scheme was introduced to provide targeted assistance to low- and middle-income citizens affected by higher petroleum prices. The subsidy is specifically aimed at owners of motorcycles, rickshaws and small cars up to 800cc.
The government has also made detailed information about the scheme available in Urdu through **pmfuelrelief.pk**, enabling eligible citizens to access registration-related information and understand the requirements for receiving the subsidy.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, IT Minister Shaza Fatima, Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik, State Minister for Finance Bilal Kayani and senior officials attended the meeting.