Pakistan Railways has started transporting diesel by train on the instructions of Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif, according to reports today.
Will diesel supply start by rail?
The railway service is now supplying diesel to depots of Pakistan State Oil (PSO).
A freight train carrying 750,000 litres of diesel from Rawalpindi has reached the Peshawar region.
Another train carrying one million litres of diesel from Mahmood Kot is expected to reach the area tonight.
Railway Minister Hanif Abbasi has directed officials to continue the diesel supply every day.
Officials said regular diesel deliveries will help keep public transport services running without disruption.
More than 5 million register for fuel relief scheme
More than five million people across Pakistan have registered for the Prime Minister’s Petrol Subsidy Scheme.
The figures were shared during a meeting on the fuel relief programme. Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Ahad Cheema chaired the meeting.
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik and IT Minister Shaza Fatima also attended the meeting.
The Minister of State for Finance and representatives of relevant departments and provincial governments were also present.
The Ministry of IT and the Pakistan Digital Authority gave a briefing on the Fuel Relief Scheme.
Officials said fuel relief tokens were being issued successfully to registered people.
They added that most problems linked to registration and petrol stations had been resolved. Payments had also been made to most petrol stations.
State Bank officials said the remaining payment issues would be cleared within one to two days.
Government considers abolishing petroleum levy
The government had recently proposed ending the petroleum levy for one year as Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) continued its “Super Long March” towards Islamabad, according to sources.
The proposal comes as the JI march moves from Rohri towards Multan. Government representatives have again contacted JI leaders and asked them to call off or delay the march.
