PM Shehbaz Sharif addressing the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) parliamentary party meeting held at the Parliament House in Islamabad on October 21, 2026. Photo: screengrab
ISLAMABAD’:
A high-level meeting chaired by PM Shehbaz Sharif in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) in Islamabad to review progress on the fuel subsidy programme and assess its implementation across the country.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday ordered the cancellation of licences of petrol pumps refusing to provide subsidised fuel to registered beneficiaries under the Prime Minister’s Fuel Relief Programme, warning of strict action against outlets denying the facility to eligible citizens.
The directive was issued during a high-level meeting chaired by the premier at the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) in Islamabad to review progress on the subsidy programme and assess its implementation across the country.
Shehbaz directed the relevant authorities to ensure that registered beneficiaries faced no hurdles in obtaining subsidised fuel and that petrol pumps complied with the government’s instructions.
Expressing satisfaction over the programme’s progress and transparency, he said, “As a result of simplifying the process of registration and obtaining subsidies, there has been an increase in registrations, and more deserving citizens are benefiting from this facility.”
He described the technology-driven and transparent subsidy mechanism as a potential “game-changer for such public welfare initiatives in the future”.
According to the briefing, 15,519,282 citizens had registered under the subsidy scheme so far. Of these, 15.06 million were motorcycle owners, while 449,800 owned vehicles with engine capacities of up to 800cc.
The meeting was informed that 63,153,685 fuel subsidy tokens had been issued, of which 59,445,347 had been redeemed, representing a redemption rate of just over 94%.
Payments amounting to Rs28.6 billion had been made under the programme as of November 4, accounting for 38% of the total amount allocated by the government. On September 14, the Economic Coordination Committee of the Cabinet had set aside Rs75 billion for the Prime Minister’s Fuel Relief Scheme.
To facilitate beneficiaries and address complaints, the meeting was informed that separate call centres had been established for consumers and petrol pumps, allowing both sides to obtain information and report issues related to the scheme.
Shehbaz stressed that the monitoring mechanism must remain effective and that the subsidy should reach its intended beneficiaries without discrimination or administrative obstacles.
SMEs
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif directed that the requirement of 80 per cent exports be abolished for SMEs to access long-term financing.
He also said no bank will be allowed to deviate from implementing the concessional financing scheme for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and exporters.
He gave the directions while chairing a high-level meeting on facilitating export-oriented SMEs, a Prime Minister’s Office news release said.
The prime minister said government patronage and facilities should be ensured for the growth of SMEs. He said the government will provide all possible support to raise their capacity, improve skills and promote their businesses.
He directed that accreditation standards, laboratory expansion and other regulatory procedures be improved for exporters’ convenience. He also directed the establishment of modern laboratories so that exporters can receive services at their doorstep.
The meeting was briefed in detail on recent consultative sessions with SME representatives and the issues they raised. The briefing said the sessions discussed taxes, refunds, provincial levies, accreditation, logistics, payments and financing.
Sudan
Interior Minister of Sudan Lt General Babiker Samra Mustafa Ali called on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and discussed matters of mutual interest.
The Prime Minister welcomed the distinguished guest on his arrival in Pakistan and said Pakistan attached great importance to its long-standing and brotherly relations with Sudan. “We want Sudan to emerge from its current crisis as a peaceful, stable and prosperous country.
Pakistan is keen to further strengthen bilateral relations with Sudan, especially in areas of trade and investment,” he added. He said, “There are vast opportunities for bilateral cooperation in agriculture, defence, education and other sectors. Pakistan values Sudan’s cooperation at the UN, OIC, G-77 and other multilateral forums.”
