Pakistan PM announces continuation of fuel subsidy scheme

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has announced that the fuel subsidy scheme will continue, following reports that over 10 million people have directly benefited from the program through a transparent digital process. The Prime Minister noted that when considering both direct and indirect impacts, approximately 50 million individuals have benefited from the initiative.

To recognize the successful implementation of the scheme, the Prime Minister announced a medal for Federal Minister for Technology Shaza Fatima Khawaja, along with shields for other officials and team members. He praised the cooperation between the federal government and the provinces—Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh, and Balochistan—stating that such success would not have been possible without their administrative and financial support.

Funds amounting to 75 billion rupees have been allocated to sustain the scheme. The Prime Minister highlighted the scale of the achievement, noting that while a previous iteration in February issued 1.3 million tokens, the current digital mechanism has allowed the number of beneficiaries to exceed 10 million, providing relief to owners of motorcycles, rickshaws, and 800cc vehicles.