ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday issued a stern warning, declaring that any attempt to hoard petroleum products was “unforgivable” and promising swift and strict legal action against the culprits.
Chairing a high-level review meeting on the implementation of austerity measures, energy conservation policies, and petroleum product management, the prime minister emphasised the need to safeguard national economic stability amid regional tensions.
Highlighting the country’s partial reliance on petroleum products for electricity generation, he stressed that measures to conserve energy were critical to ensuring an uninterrupted power supply.
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Officials briefed the prime minister that markets and shopping malls across Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, Islamabad, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan had been ordered to close at 8pm, with the measure taking effect on April “The severity of the regional situation requires that the entire nation contribute to fuel conservation and austerity campaigns,” the prime minister said, urging masses’ cooperation to curb wastage of petrol and electricity.
Officials added that early market closures and other austerity initiatives were designed not only to conserve precious foreign exchange but also to stabilise electricity supply nationwide.
Officials said talks were underway with the Sindh government, expressing hope it would follow suit and enforce 8pm market closures across the province.
The federal government has begun receiving details of individuals eligible for petroleum subsidies from the provincial governments, and, following verification, payments are being made through a transparent digital system, officials said.
Officials said that, in collaboration with the Ministry of IT and the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), subsidies have been continuously provided to freight vehicles, buses, and trucks since April 4.
The meeting was attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, federal ministers Ahsan Iqbal, Aleem Khan, Dr Masadik Malik, Ahad Cheema, Attaullah Tarar, Shaza Fatima, and Awais Leghari, Minister of State for Finance Bilal Kiani, special assistants Tariq Bajwa and Talha Barky, the SBP governor, chief secretaries of all four provinces, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan, inspector generals of police and other senior government officials.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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