The government of Pakistan has decided to end the fuel subsidy due to the low petroleum prices across the country.
The decision was taken under the guidelines of the Foreign Minister (FM) and the Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) of Pakistan, Ishaq Dar, while he chaired the 7th meeting of the National Steering Committee on Fuel Subsidy.
The fuel subsidy was provided earlier for the facility of bikers, 800cc cars, rickshaws, small farmers, public transport, and heavy vehicles.
The committee has reasoned that the fuel subsidy has been ended due to the low prices of petrol and diesel all over Pakistan.
The authorities added that the public has been facilitated with lower petroleum prices already, so it is in no interest of the government to continue the fuel subsidy anymore.
The Steering Committee has implemented the withdrawal of the subsidies across all the provinces, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).
The committee also got the approval of the Prime Minister (PM) of Pakistan, Shehbaz Sharif, before finalising the withdrawal of fuel subsidy.
Talking about the subsidy provided to the public, Rs50 to Rs100 per litre of the fuel facilitation was provided to the bikers, rickshaw drivers, and owners of small vehicles (up to 800cc).
The small farmers were provided with the fuel subsidy of Rs100 per litre.
On the other hand, both the public and goods transporters were receiving monthly subsidies ranging between Rs70,000 and Rs100,000 per litre.
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Govt reduces imported mobile phones price by Rs14,000
The government of Pakistan has announced a reduction in the price of imported mobile phones by Rs14,000.
According to the budget 2026-27, passed recently on June 12, the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has reduced the regulatory duty on imported phones by 20 per cent.
The FBR chairperson, Rashid Mahmood Langrial, while briefing the National Assembly (NA) Standing Committee on Finance, said that the 20 per cent reduction in regulatory duty on high-end imported phones will take effect from July 1, 2026.
He said that this step will provide relief of Rs14,000 per phone. He said this relief is part of the overall duty reductions under the tariff rationalisation policy.
During discussions on the Finance Bill 2026, Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) Chairman Rashid Mahmood Langrial said there was no justification for restructuring the existing tax bands on imported mobiles, describing the current framework as “progressive, equitable and revenue-buoyant”.
He opposed broad reductions in import duties, particularly on high-end devices, saying premium smartphones account for a significant share of import-related tax revenue and are largely purchased by wealthier consumers.
According to the FBR chairman, lowering duties on imported mobile phones would primarily benefit the rich buyers while resulting in substantial revenue losses for the government.
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