PM announces update on petrol relief scheme

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has directed the immediate inclusion of 20-year-old motorcycles, rickshaws and Qingqi rickshaws in the Prime Minister Fuel Relief Scheme, expanding access to subsidised petrol for low- and middle-income groups.

The move will allow individuals operating older two- and three-wheeled vehicles to benefit from the government’s fuel subsidy programme.

The development comes as petroleum dealers began implementing the government’s fuel relief package on Thursday following successful negotiations between the two sides, according to the Pakistan Petroleum Dealers Association (PPDA).

The federal government launched the special fuel relief scheme on September 13, offering a Rs100-per-litre discount on petrol for motorcyclists, rickshaw owners and drivers of vehicles with engine capacities of up to 800cc, amid rising fuel prices linked to tensions in the Middle East.

Under the scheme, owners and users of motorcycles, rickshaws and other two- and three-wheeled vehicles are eligible for Rs100 per litre in relief on up to 20 litres of petrol per month. Owners of vehicles with engine capacities of up to 800cc can receive the same relief on up to 30 litres per month.

The subsidy has been extended to people across the country, including Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan.

Meanwhile, the SMS service for registration in the petrol subsidy scheme has also been made completely free of cost on the prime minister’s directions.

Applicants can register by sending an SMS in the format 'REG [space] CNIC number [space] vehicle number plate [space] first letter of province [space] vehicle registration date' to 9771.