PM Shehbaz again urges public to avoid unnecessary travel, support austerity drive

• Rs125bn allocated to shield consumers from price hikes.
• Provinces asked to register bikes, rickshaws for relief.
• Digital dashboard monitors fuel demand, imports for April.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday once again urged citizens to avoid unnecessary travel and support the government’s austerity drive, introduced in the wake of the ongoing crisis in the Middle East due to the US and Israel's war on Iran.

The premier made the appeal while chairing a review meeting on fuel conservation amid the evolving regional situation, according to a statement issued by the Prime Minister's Office.

The meeting reviewed the implementation of measures aimed at fuel savings and austerity, with the prime minister saying that sufficient petroleum stocks were available in the country due to timely government decisions.

He said providing public relief remained a top priority in the current situation, adding that the government had extended maximum possible relief to citizens over the past three weeks.

To cushion the impact of rising global oil prices, the federal government allocated Rs125 billion through savings and development budget cuts to prevent an increase in petroleum prices and shield the public from direct effects of international tensions.

He appealed to the public to support the conservation campaign by avoiding unnecessary travel and prioritising teleconferencing at offices and workplaces.

PM Shehbaz also directed provincial governments to facilitate motorcycle and rickshaw owners in registering vehicles in their own names, noting that this would help digitise data nationwide and enable owners to benefit from future relief measures.

He further instructed authorities to enhance coordination with chief secretaries of all four provinces, as well as Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan.

The meeting was briefed on progress regarding austerity measures, with officials informing participants that petroleum supply and demand, along with the entire supply chain, were being regularly monitored through a digital dashboard, while arrangements for April fuel imports had already been finalised.

Officials said that, unlike other countries, Pakistan had not witnessed long queues or mismanagement in fuel supply, attributing this to effective government planning and timely actions.

A briefing was also given on a prepared application for the proposed fuel support programme aimed at motorcycle riders and rickshaw drivers.

The meeting, held via video link, was attended by Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, federal ministers including Ahsan Iqbal and Attaullah Tarar, Special Assistant Tariq Bajwa, State Bank Governor Jameel Ahmad, and other senior officials.

Two days earlier, PM Shehbaz rejected a summary to hike petrol and high-speed diesel (HSD) prices once again despite a surge in global oil rates.

Addressing the nation, the premier said he received a summary seeking a hike of Rs95 per litre for petrol and Rs203 per litre for diesel.

However, the prime minister said that he had rejected the summary and that the govt will bear the additional cost instead of passing it on to the public.

He said petrol should cost Rs544 per litre today, but the govt is providing it at Rs322 per litre. Similarly, diesel should be Rs790 per litre, but it is being sold at Rs335 per litre.