Says providing relief to the public remains the top priority, expressing satisfaction with the availability of fuel
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday directed the authorities to take strict action against smuggling and illegal hoarding of petroleum products, citing the evolving regional situation.
The development came a day after President Asif Ali Zardari and the prime minister assured participants of a high-level meeting that sufficient fuel stocks were available to meet the country’s needs, with future arrangements also underway.
President Zardari had emphasized that amid pressure on oil and gas supply, rising energy costs and the changing regional environment, all possible measures should be taken to reduce the burden on the common man, especially in essential goods and services.
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According to a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office, Prime Minister Shehbaz chaired a high-level meeting to review the oil supply chain, conservation measures and steps aimed at ensuring efficiency in the current situation.
Under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Mohammad Shahbaz Sharif, the ongoing measures for the supply chain of the regional products, savings and efficiency measures regarding the meeting
In the meeting, low-income classes were reviewed in the context of the current situation.
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— PTV News (@PTVNewsOfficial) 31 March 2026
The meeting also examined proposals to provide relief to low-income segments facing financial pressure. The Prime Minister directed relevant ministries to finalize recommendations in consultation with provincial governments and submit them for approval.
Emphasizing strict enforcement, the Prime Minister directed authorities to act tough against those involved in smuggling and illegal storage of petroleum products, warning that no leniency would be shown in maintaining market stability.
He noted that over the past three weeks, the Federal Government had taken significant measures to support vulnerable segments and reiterated that efforts would continue to prioritize relief to the underprivileged.
The prime minister said the government had provided relief worth Rs 129 billion to the public by reducing development expenditure and implementing austerity and austerity to prevent a rise in fuel prices.
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Expressing satisfaction over the availability of fuel, Prime Minister Shehbaz said timely decisions by the federal government had ensured sufficient oil stocks to meet national requirements. “Providing relief to the public remains our top priority,” he said.
The meeting was briefed on progress in the implementation of austerity measures. Officials informed the participants that the demand and supply of petroleum products, as well as the entire supply chain, were regularly monitored through a digital dashboard to ensure transparency and efficiency.
Those present at the meeting included Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Ahad Cheema, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar, Minister for Petroleum Ali Pervaiz Malik, Minister for IT and Telecommunications Shaza Fatima Khawaja, Minister for Power Sardar Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Privatization Muhammad Ali and Special Minister of State for Prime Minister Muhammad Ali and Rahar Kaway. minister Tariq Bajwa and senior officials.
Earlier this month, the government sharply increased diesel and petrol prices by Rs55 per litre, or 20 percent, citing the ongoing conflict between the US and Israel and Iran, which has disrupted global supply chains and pushed crude oil prices to a two-year high.
In response to the crisis, both the federal and provincial governments had introduced a series of austerity measures, including an extra weekly holiday, a reduction in free petrol allocations for ministers, restrictions on protocol vehicles and proposals to provide subsidized fuel for students.
Last week, the government had also approved a significant hike of Rs200 per liter in the fuel tax on high-octane fuel used in luxury cars, raising the total tax to Rs300 per liter and the price to Rs600 per litre.
Although the government had been expected to raise oil prices further due to the prevailing uncertainty, it had refrained from doing so on two occasions, stating that Rs125 billion had been allocated through austerity and development budget cuts to cushion consumers against rising global oil prices.
