Who qualifies for the new petrol subsidy?

Minister of State for Information Technology Shaza Fatima Khawaja has said the government has launched a targeted petrol relief programme on the instructions of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to provide financial support to eligible citizens amid rising fuel prices.

Speaking at a press conference alongside Information Minister Atta Tarar and Minister for Petroleum Ali Pervaiz Malik in Islamabad, Shaza said owners of two-wheelers, three-wheelers and vehicles with engines up to 800cc would be eligible for the relief.

Under the programme, motorcycle owners will receive relief on up to 20 litres of petrol, while owners of vehicles with engines up to 800cc will receive a subsidy on up to 30 litres.

She said the government had designed the scheme in a way that would allow the maximum number of eligible citizens to benefit from the programme. The process has been divided into two stages, beginning with registration.

According to Shaza, applicants must send their CNIC number through a SIM registered in their own name. They will then be required to provide their motorcycle or vehicle registration details along with the province or city where the vehicle is registered.

She stressed that the vehicle’s registration date would also be required during the registration process. If any information is missing or incorrect, applicants will receive a message informing them about the required correction.

The minister said registration would only need to be completed once. After successfully registering, applicants can send the word “TOK” to 9771 when they go to purchase petrol to avail themselves of the relief.

Shaza also warned citizens against sharing their CNIC numbers or other personal information with anyone. She said the government would neither ask applicants for additional personal data nor charge them any fees for the programme.

She added that any errors or issues identified during implementation would be reviewed and corrected as the programme progressed.

Information Minister Atta Tarar said the scheme had been introduced specifically for deserving citizens following a sharp increase in international oil prices. He said the government had adopted a transparent mechanism to ensure that only eligible people benefited from the relief.

Tarar added that the prime minister had issued instructions to all relevant ministries and departments and directed them to remain available around the clock to facilitate implementation of the programme.

Ali Pervaiz Malik said the prime minister did not want to place an additional financial burden on citizens. He noted that Pakistan imports around 90% of its energy requirements, making international fluctuations in oil prices a major challenge for the country.

He said the government had previously arranged resources in advance for fuel subsidies and had also been directed by the prime minister to mobilise additional resources when fuel prices increased.

According to Malik, a targeted relief mechanism had previously been put in place and remained operational until June 30. The latest programme is aimed at providing focused assistance to those most affected by the increase in petrol prices.