Fuel subsidy scheme extended to internet-blind areas via SMS redemption

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar on Saturday chaired a meeting of the National Steering Committee on Fuel Subsidy to evaluate the progress of the Prime Minister’s Special Relief Scheme.

According to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, the committee was briefed that an overwhelming majority of fuel stations across Pakistan are now fully integrated into the system, with citizens actively redeeming their fuel tokens. Registration for the scheme remains open nationwide via SMS to 9771.

To ensure uninterrupted delivery, the committee approved fuel token redemption through SMS for stations in areas lacking internet connectivity. Provincial governments, alongside the administrations of Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK) and Gilgit-Baltistan (GB), were directed to submit lists of offline fuel stations to bring them onto the network immediately.

Updating the committee on financial disbursements, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) reported that all payment claims submitted over the previous three days were settled in full on a daily, same-day processing basis.

The deputy prime minister instructed officials to bring every operational fuel station onto the network while identifying and removing pumps that are permanently closed or deal exclusively in diesel. This measure aims to align the scheme’s database with ground realities.

Appreciating the coordination between provincial administrations and the central bank, Dar emphasised that relief must continue reaching intended beneficiaries without delay.

The high-level meeting was attended by federal ministers for petroleum, economic affairs, information, and IT; the SBP deputy governor; chairmen of OGRA and the Pakistan Digital Authority; federal secretaries; provincial chief secretaries; and senior representatives from ICT, AJK, GB, and Balochistan.