Pakistan says it has sufficient fuel reserves, allocates PKR125 billion for relief

Prime Minister of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif chaired a high-level meeting on Sunday to review the implementation of fuel conservation and austerity measures amid an evolving regional situation, officials said.

According to Prime Minister's Office (PMO), the prime minister said Pakistan currently has sufficient petroleum reserves to meet domestic demand, expressing satisfaction over what he described as timely government decisions.

He emphasized that providing relief to the public has remained the government’s top priority during recent developments.

Sharif said the federal government had allocated PKR125 billion, through savings and cuts in the development budget, to shield citizens from the direct impact of rising global oil prices.

He added that maximum possible relief had been extended to the public over the past three weeks.

Participants in the meeting urged citizens to support conservation efforts by avoiding unnecessary travel and prioritizing teleconferencing in workplaces.

Sharif also directed provincial governments to facilitate motorcycle and rickshaw owners in registering their vehicles in their own names. He said the move would help digitize nationwide data and enable owners to benefit from future relief programs.

The prime minister instructed authorities to enhance coordination with chief secretaries of all four provinces, as well as Pakistan-administered Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan.

Officials told the meeting that petroleum supply and demand, along with the broader supply chain, are being monitored through a digital dashboard. They said arrangements for fuel imports for April have already been finalized.

According to officials, Pakistan has not experienced long fuel queues or supply disruptions, unlike several other countries, attributing this to timely policy measures.

The meeting was also briefed on a proposed fuel support program for motorcycle riders and rickshaw drivers, including the development of a dedicated mobile application.

Senior officials, including Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, federal ministers, the governor of the central bank, and other authorities attended the meeting via video link.