ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's government moved Saturday to expand and streamline its Prime Minister's fuel relief scheme, approving SMS-based token redemption at stations without internet access, extending eligibility to older motorcycles and abolishing SMS charges for all users.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sen. Mohammad Ishaq Dar chaired a meeting of the National Steering Committee on Fuel Subsidy to review implementation of the Prime Minister's Special Relief Scheme, state-run APP reported.
The committee approved fuel-token redemption via SMS at stations in areas lacking internet connectivity. Azad Jammu & Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan and the provinces will submit lists of such stations so they can be added to the system without delay.
Dar directed that every operational fuel station be brought onto the system, while permanently closed stations or those dealing exclusively in diesel should be removed so the scheme's coverage reflects conditions on the ground. He praised provincial administrations and acknowledged cooperation from the State Bank of Pakistan, saying relief must reach intended beneficiaries without hindrance.
The meeting was attended by the ministers for petroleum, economic affairs, information and broadcasting, and IT and telecommunication, along with the deputy governor of the State Bank of Pakistan, the chairman of OGRA, the chairman of the Pakistan Digital Authority, the petroleum secretary, the chief commissioner of Islamabad and senior officials from the provinces and regions.
Separately, Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja announced three major changes to the scheme, aimed particularly at motorcycle, rickshaw and Qingqi users.
She said eligibility now extends to motorcycles registered from Jan. 1, 2006, rather than the previous 2011 cutoff — a decision made in response to feedback from citizens and journalists.
The 500-rupee per-token limit for two- and three-wheelers has also been revised. The previous five-liter limit per token has been abolished, allowing eligible users to buy fuel according to their needs. Eligible two- and three-wheeler users may obtain four tokens per month, each carrying 500 rupees in relief.
"For example, if two liters of petrol cost 780 rupees, the beneficiary would pay 280 rupees after applying the 500-rupee relief token," she explained.
SMS charges have been abolished across the board, Khawaja said. "SMS has been made free for everyone, whether they own an 800cc vehicle or a two or three-wheeler."
More than 1.75 million registrations had been completed by 3 p.m., with about 1.5 million tokens generated and more than 680,000 redeemed at petrol stations, she said. The government is closely monitoring the figures, and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is personally following implementation.
A steering committee headed by the deputy prime minister and an implementation committee are working with relevant ministries, OGRA, the State Bank and other institutions to resolve issues. A 24-hour control room has been established at the Ministry of IT and Telecommunication to handle complaints.
Khawaja urged citizens to remain vigilant against fraudsters, stressing the government has imposed no charges for registration, SMS or token issuance. "No one should pay anyone for registration, tokens or information about the scheme," she said, advising citizens not to share CNIC numbers, vehicle registration details or other personal information with unauthorized persons.
Beneficiaries facing problems can complain by calling 9771, a helpline also available to petrol station operators using the token-validation application.
Applicants must send an SMS to 9771 with their CNIC number, vehicle registration number, province code and vehicle registration date, entered without spaces. The registration date was added as an additional verification measure to prevent unauthorized registrations.
Khawaja clarified that ownership of a motorcycle, Qingqi or rickshaw is not mandatory if the user has the relevant vehicle documents and custody. Eligible two- and three-wheeler users can send "TOK" to 9771 once a week to obtain a token, while car users can obtain tokens on a prescribed schedule.
She emphasized that the entire registration and complaint process relies on ordinary SMS so people without smartphones or internet access can benefit, adding that the government is continuously reviewing public feedback and will make further improvements as needed.
