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

Federal Information Technology and Telecommunication Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja announced that over 6.18 million fuel relief tokens have been generated under the Prime Minister’s Fuel Relief Scheme, with 4.79 million successfully redeemed since its launch. Addressing a news conference, she revealed that 5.91 million citizens had registered for the scheme, which initially had a five-litre limit for motorcycles, rickshaws, and Qingqi.

However, the government removed this limit based on public feedback, and also lifted the ownership requirement for rented vehicles used by motorcycle and rickshaw users. The scheme aims to provide relief to citizens affected by rising fuel costs due to global oil market volatility. The IT minister displayed a live dashboard showing registrations, tokens generated and redeemed, and a provincial breakdown of the figures.

The scheme is designed to ensure relief reaches eligible citizens through a simple, transparent and technology-enabled mechanism. A 24/7 control room at the IT and Telecommunication Ministry is monitoring implementation across the country, overseeing registration, token generation, and redemption, and focusing on transparency and timely issue resolution.

Citizens can call 9771 or visit pmfuelrelief.pk for assistance. Provincial governments are playing an important role in overseeing the programme, with daily meetings held for monitoring. Ms Fatima personally visited petrol stations facing issues and observed the scheme's implementation. The government is conducting awareness campaigns and using the media, particularly targeting those affected by higher petrol prices.

The minister also noted that while older motorcycles and some older cars exist, most targeted individuals are receiving the facility, with petrol pumps being paid within a 24-hour cycle.