Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has ordered authorities to cancel the licences of petrol pumps that refuse subsidised fuel to registered beneficiaries of the Prime Minister’s Fuel Relief Programme, warning that stations which block deserving citizens from the relief will face strict action.
The directive came on Thursday, 5 November 2026, as the prime minister chaired a high-level meeting in Islamabad to review progress on the scheme. He expressed satisfaction over the programme’s progress and transparency, and described the technology-based subsidy system as a potential game changer for future public welfare initiatives. The News reported the directive.
Over 15.5 million citizens registered
The meeting was told that a total of 15,519,282 citizens have registered under the programme so far. Of these, 15.06 million are motorcycle owners and 449,000 own vehicles with engine capacities of up to 800cc.
Officials briefed the prime minister that 63,153,685 subsidy tokens had been issued under the scheme, of which 59,445,347 had been redeemed by beneficiaries. Total disbursements under the fuel subsidy scheme had reached Rs28.6 billion as of 4 November 2026.
The prime minister said the simplification of registration and subsidy disbursement procedures had led to a sharp increase in registrations, enabling more deserving citizens to benefit from the initiative. He stressed that registered beneficiaries must receive the facilities promised under the scheme, and directed strict action against petrol pumps found denying them subsidised fuel.
How the fuel relief programme works
The Prime Minister’s Fuel Relief Programme was launched on 13 September 2026 amid rising petroleum prices triggered by tensions in the Middle East. Under the scheme, the government provides a subsidy of Rs100 per litre on petrol for low- and middle-income households. Probes Pakistan has more scheme background.
Owners of motorcycles, rickshaws and Qingqi vehicles are entitled to subsidised petrol on up to 20 litres a month, while owners of vehicles with engine capacities of up to 800cc can receive the relief on 30 litres a month. Beneficiaries register once and receive digital subsidy tokens, which they redeem at participating petrol pumps.
The programme initially faced resistance from the Pakistan Petroleum Dealers Association over reimbursement mechanisms, but the government later eased eligibility requirements and introduced a complaint resolution system to deal with disputes between beneficiaries and pump operators.
Monitoring system praised, call centres set up
The prime minister appreciated Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima, Federal Secretary Zarrar Hashim Khan and their team for developing an effective monitoring mechanism and dashboard to ensure transparency and oversight of the programme.
To help beneficiaries and address complaints, separate call centres have also been established for consumers and petrol pump operators, so that problems with registration or token redemption can be reported and resolved quickly.
The meeting was attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Federal Ministers Ahad Khan Cheema, Musadik Malik, Muhammad Aurangzeb, Attaullah Tarar and Ali Pervaiz Malik, Minister of State for Finance Bilal Azhar Kiani, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Tariq Bajwa, Special Assistant on Energy Lt Gen (retd) Zafar Iqbal and other senior officials.
What happens next for pump operators
The prime minister’s order puts the focus squarely on enforcement at the pump. Fuel relief programme petrol pumps that are part of the scheme are expected to honour the subsidy tokens of registered beneficiaries, and those that refuse will now risk losing their licences altogether.
For the millions of registered motorcyclists and small-car owners, the message is that the relief is theirs by right — and for pump operators, the warning is equally clear: denying subsidised fuel to eligible citizens will cost them their right to operate.
The fuel relief comes at a time of continued movement in pump prices. Petrol has just seen its latest price cut, and the government has signalled that the subsidy scheme will remain a central part of its relief package for low- and middle-income households through the winter months. Read the latest petrol price cut and the previous fuel price revision.
A busy day of meetings for the prime minister
Separately, the prime minister also chaired a review meeting on polio eradication, where he expressed concern over recent cases and directed federal health authorities and the anti-polio team to visit all four provinces and formulate a coordinated national strategy for eradication within a week.
He also chaired a meeting on facilitating export-oriented small and medium enterprises, directing that the requirement of 80 percent exports be abolished for SMEs to access long-term financing, and that no bank be allowed to deviate from implementing the concessional financing scheme for small businesses and exporters.
The same day, the prime minister inaugurated the Kashmir Chowk underpass in Islamabad, completed in a record 27 days at a cost of Rs1.45 billion, calling it a “mini miracle” and saying the goal of national development could be achieved through round-the-clock hard work.
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