Govt waives SMS charges for fuel relief scheme registration

According to Profit, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has directed that text message fees for enrolling in the fuel relief program be dropped, easing a financial hurdle for petrol subsidy seekers. He made the call on Monday during a meeting that reviewed progress on the PM Special Relief Scheme. By Monday afternoon, the Islamabad region had logged over 600,000 texts, and 42,933 people had completed registration.

The program is meant to cushion low-income and middle-class households from higher petrol costs linked to the Gulf situation, and it covers motorcycles, rickshaws and cars up to 800cc. Launch in Islamabad is set for early Tuesday, September 15, while eligible vehicle owners elsewhere in the country, including Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, can claim relief starting the night of September 16-17. Registration requires just four details: the CNIC number, the number plate, the province of registration and the vehicle registration date.

Sharif has also told Islamabad officials, including the chief commissioner and inspector general, to stay in the field and help citizens through registration. Public representatives and volunteers are to be mobilised nationwide to assist with forms, and an awareness drive across print, broadcast, digital and social media has been ordered.