Subsidy will help provide relief to masses: ministers

ISLAMABAD: Faced with massive public backlash over unprecedented rise in the fuel prices, the government has finally announced to have launched subsidy for public transport, claiming that the move would help provide relief to the masses.

“From today, the trucks and buses have started getting the subsidy,” said Information Technology and Telecommunication Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja, in a joint presser with Finance and Revenue State Minister Bilal Azhar Kayani on Sunday.

The decision, she said, has been taken to reduce the impact of fuel prices on the public.

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Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif held meetings with the provincial authorities and other relevant stakeholders to map out a system for providing subsidy on public transport, she said.

The PM, she said, has finalised this system in coordination with the provinces.

“The increase in the price of diesel results in inflation—to counter this, a system has been put in place to provide subsidy on the public transport—to give relief to the masses,” she said.

This subsidy system, the minister said, was to be launched on the coming Monday, “but it is effective from today on the direction of the prime minister—keeping in view the urgency of the matter.”

She said the transport vehicles; large goods, trucks, buses, and vans involved in public services are being granted subsidy. The distribution of subsidy, the minister said, would be completed in the next couple of days.

“This is being done to ensure that the fares of transport vehicles are not increased—and the people get relief,” said the minister.

Khawaja said the transport vehicles and motorbikes that are registered with the relevant excise authorities are eligible for the subsidy that is being provided based on the data shared with the federal government by the provincial governments.

In addition, she said, the government has ensured that the fuel supply is not disrupted across the country since the start of war in this region.

Speaking at the presser, Kayani said the federal government spent 129 billion rupees to stop the fuel prices from rising. He said the fuel prices were not increased for three weeks to give relief to the masses. The state minister said there is no shortage of fuel in the country.

“All possible measures are being put in place to provide relief to the general public, and protect them from the adverse impact of rising global petroleum prices,” he said.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026