Pakistan offers subsidised petrol to motorcycle, rickshaw and small-car owners

Centre · 1Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has introduced a Prime Minister's Special Relief Scheme offering subsidised petrol to motorcycle riders, rickshaw and Qingqi drivers, and owners of cars with engines of up to 800cc. 1 Mixed · 2Gulf News and Arab News both link the scheme to higher global oil prices tied to tensions in the Middle East, which hurt oil-importing countries such as Pakistan. 1 2 Centre · 1According to the Prime Minister's office, as reported by Gulf News, motorcycle, rickshaw and Qingqi users can receive Rs500 in petrol relief each week through four fuel tokens a month, up to Rs2,000 monthly. 1

Centre · 1Owners of eligible cars of up to 800cc can buy up to 10 litres every 10 days at Rs100 per litre below the prevailing price, saving Rs1,000 per allocation and up to Rs3,000 a month across three tokens. 1 Centre · 1The government has widened eligibility after user feedback: the vehicle age limit for two- and three-wheelers rose from 15 to 20 years (registered on or after 1 January 2006), SMS registration became free, and the five-litre minimum purchase was abolished. 1 Centre · 1Motorists register by sending an SMS to 9771 with their CNIC number, vehicle number, a province letter and registration date, then send TOK to the same number to receive a fuel token to use at a participating petrol station. 1

Centre · 1Gulf News says the digital system checks CNIC, SIM and vehicle details to prevent duplicate claims and misuse, and a round-the-clock control room monitors registrations, tokens and complaints. 1 Mixed · 2The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has run an awareness campaign across TV, radio, print and digital media. 1 2 Right · 1Mohammad Irfan, consul press and culture at the Pakistan Consulate in Jeddah, told Arab News the scheme runs under the prime minister's direct supervision, helps digitise the economy by building a secure digital record of low- and middle-income people, and has earned public appreciation at home and policymakers' attention abroad; these claims are his and not independently verified in the coverage. 2

Centre · 1Gulf News adds that the government has introduced austerity measures in the federal administration, and that petrol prices recently reached Rs272 a litre amid rapid inflation, according to its linked reports. 1