Islamabad – Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday announced a reduction of eighty rupees per litre in petroleum levy, and now new price of petrol will be378 rupees per litre instead of 458 rupees per litre.
In his address to the nation, the Prime Minister said this reduction will remain effective for the next one month.
Shehbaz Sharif also announced that the members of the Federal Cabinet will forego their salaries for six months, which was earlier decided for two months, and this amount will be deposited in the national exchequer.
He said the oil prices are skyrocketing due to war in the Middle East and it has engulfed Pakistan as well.
He said challenges have emerged for the common man, and farmers are also facing difficulties due to the ongoing conflict in the region.
The Prime Minister said even major economies are under pressure from rising international oil prices. He said the government has made every effort to alleviate the public’s hardships using national resources.
Shehbaz Sharif said over the past three weeks, he ensured that the burden of the surge in international oil prices was not passed on to the people, and 129 billion rupees were spent from national resources to absorb the impact.
The Prime Minister also highlighted that the government, along with Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces, Field Marshal Asim Munir, and the Deputy Prime Minister are working tirelessly to establish peace in the region.
Shehbaz Sharif said a comprehensive programme has been announced to support the public in the wake of the recent hike in petroleum prices. He said under this programme, motorbike owners will receive a subsidy of 100 rupees per litre.
He said small trucks will receive seventy thousand rupees per month, large trucks will receive eighty thousand rupees, and passenger buses will be given one hundred thousand rupees per month as a subsidy.
Regarding railways, the Prime Minister announced that fares for economy class will not be increased.
He added that all these measures will also be implemented in Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, with the federal government providing the necessary resources.
The Prime Minister also thanked the Chief Ministers of the four provinces, Gilgit-Baltistan, and the Prime Minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir for their commitment to supporting the federal government’s initiatives.
Shehbaz Sharif said the prevailing challenge, which is the biggest challenge in history, would be countered with national cohesion and unity. He pledged that the government will make untiring efforts to bring normal life back to the people of Pakistan.
