ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday urged citizens to avoid unnecessary travel and support the government’s austerity drive introduced in response to the Middle East crisis stemming from the war involving the United States, Israel and Iran.
Chairing a review meeting on fuel conservation, the prime minister said Pakistan currently has sufficient petroleum stocks due to timely government decisions and reiterated that providing relief to the public remains a top priority.
The meeting reviewed progress on fuel-saving measures and the implementation of austerity steps. The government has allocated Rs125 billion through savings and development budget cuts to prevent an increase in petroleum prices and shield consumers from the impact of rising global oil prices.
The prime minister appealed to citizens to support the conservation campaign by minimising unnecessary travel and prioritising teleconferencing at workplaces.
Relief and digitisation measures
The prime minister directed provincial governments to facilitate motorcycle and rickshaw owners in registering vehicles in their own names to help digitise data nationwide and enable access to future relief initiatives. He also instructed authorities to enhance coordination with chief secretaries of the four provinces, as well as Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan.
Officials informed the meeting that petroleum supply, demand and the supply chain are being monitored through a digital dashboard, while arrangements for April fuel imports have been finalised. Authorities said Pakistan has avoided long fuel queues or supply disruptions due to effective planning.
A briefing was also given on a proposed fuel support programme for motorcycle riders and rickshaw drivers.
The meeting, held via video link, was attended by Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, federal ministers Ahsan Iqbal and Attaullah Tarar, State Bank Governor Jameel Ahmad and other senior officials.
Earlier, the prime minister rejected a summary proposing a sharp increase in petrol and high-speed diesel prices despite rising global oil rates, stating that the government would bear the additional cost to protect consumers.
He said petrol, which should cost Rs544 per litre, is being sold at Rs322 per litre, while diesel, which should cost Rs790 per litre, is being sold at Rs335 per litre.