PM Shehbaz Praises IT Ministry as Fuel Relief Program Registrations Cross 15.5 Million

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has again acknowledged the role of the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication in running Pakistan's fuel subsidy scheme, after registrations under the program surpassed 15.5 million and disbursements reached Rs. 28.6 billion. The prime minister made the remarks while chairing a review meeting on the Prime Minister Fuel Relief Program in Islamabad.

According to figures shared at the meeting, a total of 15,519,282 citizens have signed up for the initiative. Motorcycle owners account for the overwhelming majority at around 15.06 million, while roughly 449,000 registrations come from owners of vehicles with engine capacities of up to 800cc. Officials also reported that 63,153,685 fuel subsidy tokens have been issued so far, with 59,445,347 of them used or redeemed.

The prime minister expressed satisfaction with the program's progress and transparency, saying that simplified registration and subsidy procedures had encouraged more eligible citizens to enroll. He credited Federal IT Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja, IT Secretary Zarar Hashim Khan and their team with developing an effective monitoring system and dashboard that allows authorities to track the scheme in real time.

During the briefing, Shehbaz directed officials to cancel the licenses of petrol pumps that fail to extend the designated subsidy facilities to registered beneficiaries. Separate call centers have been set up for consumers and for petrol pump operators to share information about the program and handle complaints, a step aimed at resolving issues at the point of sale.

The prime minister described the technology-driven and transparent subsidy mechanism as a potential game changer for future public welfare initiatives, suggesting the model could be reused to deliver other targeted assistance more efficiently. The emphasis on digital tracking reflects a broader push by the government to use data systems to reduce leakages in subsidy distribution.

The fuel relief scheme remains one of the government's flagship consumer support measures, and its scale, with tens of millions of tokens issued, makes it one of the larger digitally administered subsidy efforts in the country to date. Continued monitoring and enforcement against non-compliant fuel stations are expected to determine how effectively the benefits reach registered users.