ISLAMABAD, Sep 18 (APP):Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Dr. Tariq Fazal Chaudhry on Friday said around 24 million Pakistanis were benefiting from the Prime Minister’s petrol relief package, under which eligible consumers were being provided fuel at Rs 100 per litre lower than the prevailing price. Addressing a press conference, the minister said the package was aimed at providing relief to people facing difficulties due to rising living costs, particularly …
24 mln Pakistanis benefit from PM fuel relief package: Tariq Fazal
ISLAMABAD, Sep 18 (APP):Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Dr. Tariq Fazal Chaudhry on Friday said around 24 million Pakistanis were benefiting from the Prime Minister’s petrol relief package, under which eligible consumers were being provided fuel at Rs 100 per litre lower than the prevailing price.
Addressing a press conference, the minister said the package was aimed at providing relief to people facing difficulties due to rising living costs, particularly those using motorcycles, rickshaws, Qingqi vehicles, loaders and cars of up to 800cc.
He said eligible consumers could avail the subsidy, with the relief amounting to Rs 100 per litre.
Tariq Fazal said the registration process had been kept simple and transparent, enabling eligible citizens to apply through their mobile phones. After successful registration, applicants receive a token or reference number which can be used at designated petrol stations to obtain the subsidised fuel.
He said the SMS service for registration had also been made free on the Prime Minister’s direction, removing the charges initially associated with the service.
He said the government had also established facilitation camps on a voluntary basis across the four provinces, Gilgit-Baltistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Islamabad to assist people facing difficulties in registration or receiving the relief.
He said parliamentarians and political teams were assisting citizens through these camps, adding that several such camps had also been established at different locations in the capital.
Chaudhry said he had personally visited several facilitation camps in the capital, where a large number of motorcycle users and people operating small vehicles for public transport and livelihood had approached the teams.
He said their feedback and complaints were being conveyed directly to the teams supervising the package.
He said the Finance Ministry and other relevant departments were working on implementation of the package under the Prime Minister’s direct supervision, while a committee was reviewing the implementation and issues on a daily basis.
He said some initial issues had emerged in the implementation of the scheme, particularly regarding the payment mechanism for petrol station owners, but these had been resolved after meetings with the All Pakistan Petroleum Dealers Association.
Giving details of payments, the minister said data collected from Islamabad and surrounding areas showed that 865 petrol stations had provided their details, while payments amounting to Rs 122 million had already been made to petrol stations.
He said the government’s decision to target specific segments was intended to ensure that the subsidy reached people who needed it most rather than providing a blanket subsidy to all consumers.
“If the subsidy is provided to everyone, segments of society that may not need it would also benefit,” he said adding that motorcycle rickshaw and small vehicle operators relied on their vehicles for their livelihood and household expenses.
The minister said the government was also taking austerity measures to reduce expenditure. Except for vehicles engaged in operational field activities and those of the defence services, fuel allocations for government vehicles had been reduced by 50 percent.
He said restrictions had also been imposed on new purchases of government vehicles and other items, while official dinners and lunches had been banned. He added that official foreign trips would not be government-sponsored, and where an official trip was necessary, economy-class travel would be used.
Responding to a question about recent protests in the capital, the minister said the government had a responsibility to maintain peace and protect the lives and property of citizens as well as diplomatic missions and public buildings in the capital.
He said Islamabad was the federal capital and hosted diplomatic missions of more than 50 countries, adding that the government could not allow public places and sensitive areas to be occupied or damaged.
Referring to a recent Islamabad High Court decision, he said the government would take measures to maintain normal civic life and ensure that public places remained accessible to citizens.
He said the government did not want confrontation or violence and urged political groups to avoid situations that could disrupt the lives of the residents.
Responding to a question about Jamaat-e-Islami’s long march, he said he had also been part of negotiations with the party during previous march and noted that traffic on one side of Murree Road had remained open during the sit-in.
He said the government expected all political groups to consider the relief being provided to people and contribute to maintaining a peaceful environment.
The minister said the Prime Minister’s relief package covered eligible beneficiaries across Pakistan, including Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, and was designed as a targeted subsidy for those facing economic difficulties.
