Fuel supplies sufficient, public relief top priority: PM

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif stated Sunday that the country has sufficient petroleum product reserves to meet national demand, attributing the stability to timely government decisions.

Fuel Supply and Conservation Measures

The Prime Minister’s remarks came during a review meeting focused on the implementation of fuel conservation and austerity measures in light of the current regional situation. He emphasized that providing relief to the public remains the government’s highest priority, and that citizens have received maximum possible relief over the past three weeks.

The federal government allocated Rs 125 billion, sourced from savings and development budget cuts, to prevent increases in oil prices and shield the public from global economic pressures, according to the Prime Minister.

Participants in the meeting encouraged citizens to support the government’s conservation campaign by reducing unnecessary travel and utilizing teleconferencing for workplace communication.

Sharif directed provincial governments to facilitate the registration of motorcycles and rickshaws under their owners’ names, aiming to digitize records and enable access to future relief programs. He also called for enhanced coordination between federal authorities and the Chief Secretaries of all provinces, Azad Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan.

Officials briefed attendees on the progress of austerity and conservation efforts. They reported that the demand and supply of petroleum products, along with the entire supply chain, are being closely monitored through a digital dashboard. Arrangements for petrol imports for April have already been finalized.

Unlike several other countries, Pakistan is not experiencing long queues or mismanagement in fuel supply, which officials attributed to effective government handling and timely decisions that have maintained stability in the oil sector.

A proposed fuel support program for motorcycle riders and rickshaw drivers, including a dedicated mobile application, was also discussed during the briefing.

The meeting was attended via video link by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar, Federal Ministers Ahsan Iqbal, Attaullah Tarar, Dr Musadik Malik, Ahad Khan Cheema, Muhammad Aurangzeb, Ali Pervaiz Malik, Shaza Fatima Khawaja, Owais Khan Leghari, Special Assistant Tariq Bajwa, State Bank Governor Jameel Ahmad, and other senior officials.