PM Shehbaz Sharif launched the targeted relief scheme on Sunday, offering a Rs100-per-litre discount on petrol for motorcyclists, rickshaw and Qingqi drivers and users of vehicles with engine capacities of up to 800cc
Mehtab Pirzada
ISLAMABAD: Federal ministers Attaullah Tarar, Shaza Fatima Khawaja and Ali Pervaiz Malik are holding a press conference to brief the media on the Prime Minister’s fuel relief scheme.
The briefing, which is currently underway, is providing details of the government’s fuel relief measures, including the scheme’s scope, eligibility criteria and mechanism for extending assistance to beneficiaries.
PM Shehbaz Sharif launched the targeted relief scheme on Sunday, offering a Rs100-per-litre discount on petrol for motorcyclists, rickshaw and Qingqi drivers and users of vehicles with engine capacities of up to 800cc.
The scheme was introduced to provide relief to citizens amid a sharp rise in fuel prices driven by escalating tensions in the Middle East.
Federal Minister for IT Shaza said the prime minister had launched a targeted petroleum relief programme for eligible citizens.
Shaza said the registration process was divided into two parts, with applicants first required to register using their CNIC and vehicle details.
Applicants must send their CNIC number from a SIM registered against their identity card to 9771, along with their vehicle registration number, province or city and registration date.
The province entered must be the one where the vehicle or motorcycle is registered. Applicants will receive a message if any required information is missing, she said.
Shaza said registration would only need to be completed once. After registering, beneficiaries could obtain the fuel token by sending “TOK” to 9771 when purchasing petrol.
She urged citizens not to share their CNIC numbers or any other personal data with anyone, saying the government would neither ask citizens for additional data nor charge any fee for the scheme.
The IT minister said any errors in the process would be identified and rectified as the programme progressed.
Addressing the press conference, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said the scheme had been launched specifically for deserving people following the sharp increase in fuel prices.
He said the government had adopted a transparent process and that the prime minister had issued instructions to all relevant ministries for its implementation.
Tarar said all ministries and departments would remain available around the clock to facilitate the programme.
Meanwhile, Petroleum Minister Malik said the prime minister would never want to place an additional burden on any citizen amid the rise in fuel prices.
He said Pakistan imports around 90% of its energy requirements, making the country vulnerable to fluctuations in international fuel prices.
The minister said the government and prime minister had previously arranged resources in advance for subsidies, adding that PM Shehbaz had again directed officials to mobilise additional resources.
Malik said a targeted relief package had also been arranged previously and remained in place until June 30.
