Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday renewed his appeal to citizens to avoid unnecessary travel and support the government’s ongoing austerity and fuel conservation measures amid rising global oil prices linked to regional tensions.
Chairing a review meeting on fuel savings, the prime minister said Pakistan currently has sufficient petroleum reserves due to timely government decisions. He added that easing public burden remains the government’s top priority and that relief has been provided over the past few weeks despite external pressures.
To offset the impact of rising international fuel costs, the government has allocated Rs125 billion through budget adjustments and savings to prevent sharp increases in petroleum prices.
The prime minister urged the public to reduce non-essential travel and encouraged the use of teleconferencing where possible. He also directed provincial authorities to facilitate vehicle registration for motorcycle and rickshaw owners to improve data tracking and future relief delivery.
Officials briefed the meeting that fuel supply and demand were being closely monitored through a digital system and that arrangements for upcoming imports had already been finalised. They also claimed the country had avoided fuel shortages and long queues due to effective planning.
The meeting was attended by senior federal ministers and officials, while progress on a proposed fuel support programme for low-income transport users was also reviewed.
Earlier, the prime minister rejected a proposal to increase petrol and diesel prices, saying the government would absorb the additional cost instead of passing it on to consumers.
