6 million citizens registered under PM’s fuel relief scheme: Shaza Fatima

Dawn reported that around 5.91 million people have signed up for the Prime Minister's Fuel Relief Scheme since it began. Information Technology and Telecommunication Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja gave the figure at a news conference on Friday, alongside Minister of State for Finance and Railways Bilal Azhar Kayani. More than 6.18 million relief tokens had been created, and 4.79 million of them were redeemed.

Following public feedback, the government lifted the fuel cap on motorcycles, rickshaws and Qingqi vehicles, and dropped the ownership rule for motorcycle and rickshaw users of rented vehicles. The scheme covers two- and three-wheelers plus cars up to 800cc, and it is meant to target people hit hardest by higher fuel costs, which followed turbulence in world oil markets caused by Middle East tensions. A 24/7 control room at the ministry tracks every stage from registration to redemption.

Provincial figures for redeemed tokens show 3.07 million in Punjab, 1.21 million in Sindh and 267,460 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, with smaller totals in Islamabad Capital Territory, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Balochistan and Gilgit-Baltistan. Citizens needing help can call 9771 or visit pmfuelrelief.pk. Payments to petrol pumps are made on a 24-hour cycle, she added, and she thanked dealers, oil marketing companies and the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) for their facilitation.