The government has eliminated the five-litre restriction on petrol purchases per token under Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s fuel relief initiative, announced Federal Minister for IT Shaza Fatima on Saturday. This adjustment aims to ease the burden on beneficiaries amid escalating global oil prices and challenging economic conditions.
The Prime Minister’s subsidized fuel scheme, offering petrol at Rs100 per litre, has been successfully rolled out nationwide. Additionally, registration messages for the program have been made free of charge to encourage wider participation.
Between September 14 and 19, approximately 1.75 million citizens registered for the scheme. Notably, two- and three-wheelers constituted 91.6 percent of these registrations, while vehicles with engines up to 800cc made up the remaining 8.4 percent. The peak registration day was September 18, with 511,961 new sign-ups.
Daily registration figures were as follows: 38,974 on September 14, 149,412 on September 15, 349,935 on September 16, 385,406 on September 17, and 511,961 on September 18. So far, 1,493,848 fuel tokens have been issued under the scheme.
The minister clarified that motorcycles, rickshaws, and Qingqi rickshaws registered after January 1 are eligible to participate. Motorcyclists purchasing less than five litres of petrol will receive a weekly subsidy of Rs500.
In a significant development on Friday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expanded the scheme to include motorcycles, rickshaws, and Qingqi vehicles up to 20 years old, thereby extending relief to owners of older vehicles. Under the revised eligibility criteria, vehicles registered after January 1, 2006, now qualify for the Rs100-per-litre petrol subsidy. Authorities have been instructed to implement these expanded categories without delay.
Previously, vehicles registered before January 1, 2006, were excluded due to their age. This change addresses concerns raised by owners of older motorcycles and rickshaws who were previously ineligible for the program.
The scheme was initially launched to support low-income users facing rising fuel costs and covers motorcycles, rickshaws, Qingqi vehicles, and cars with engines up to 800cc. Registration is available via SMS and an online platform.
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