Dar directs payments to fuel stations within 24 hours

ISLAMABAD: The federal government is set to roll out the Prime Minister’s Special Relief Scheme nationwide from midnight Wednesday-Thursday, offering subsidised fuel to motorcycles, three-wheelers and vehicles up to 800cc, with the entire cost to be borne by the federal government.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister (DPM/FM) Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar chaired the 9th meeting of the National Steering Committee on Fuel Subsidy to review the nationwide rollout of the Prime Minister’s Special Relief Scheme.

Following the successful Islamabad pilot, the Committee finalised arrangements for the nationwide launch. The scheme covers motorcycles, three-wheelers and vehicles up to 800cc, including loaders and pick-ups, with the entire cost borne by the Federal Government.

Registration is now open nationwide through SMS to 9771. Redemption of fuel tokens will commence at midnight between Wednesday and Thursday.

DPM/FM directed that payments to fuel stations be settled within 24 hours through the State Bank of Pakistan and instructed provinces to complete district-level outreach to ensure seamless delivery of relief to the intended beneficiaries.

The meeting was attended by the Minister for Economic Affairs, Minister for Information & Broadcasting, Minister for IT & Telecommunication, SAPM Tariq Bajwa, Federal Secretaries of Petroleum, IT & Telecommunication; Chairman OGRA; Chairman PTA; Chief Secretaries of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan; Additional Chief Secretaries of Punjab and AJ&K, and senior officials from Gilgit-Baltistan, ICT and other Federal & Provincial departments.

Dar also chaired a meeting on administrative follow-up of the Prime Minister’s Fuel Relief Scheme on Tuesday.

The DPM/FM stressed that registration must remain simple and accessible to ensure maximum benefit to the intended beneficiaries. He directed all concerned to ensure effective public outreach and smooth implementation at petrol stations.

In line with the Prime Minister’s directions, the DPM/FM urged elected representatives to disseminate information on the Scheme and facilitate registration. He further directed that Prime Minister’s Youth Programme volunteers be engaged for public outreach and registration.

The DPM/FM was apprised that the Scheme was operational in Islamabad and would be rolled out across Pakistan at 11:59 p.m. on 16 September 2026.

The meeting was attended by the Minister for Information & Broadcasting, Minister for IT, Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Minister of State for Finance, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister, Secretary IT, and MNAs from ICT.—NAVEED SIDDIQUI