Subsidised petrol for more than 12 million
Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik said on Sunday that Pakistan is supplying petrol at pre-war subsidised rates to well over 12 million people judged to need help. Addressing a university convocation in Islamabad, he put the figure at more than 12–13 million and framed the scheme as support for households that most deserve cheaper fuel.
He tied the pressure on energy costs to trouble near the Strait of Hormuz. In his account, that shipping choke point’s disruption raised the price of oil, gas, LPG and other fuels worldwide, strained foreign-exchange budgets, and left families weighing hard trade-offs.
How he described the Hormuz shock
Malik called the episode unusual in scale and reach, and said the drawn-out strain had tested governments far beyond Pakistan. He argued that Islamabad had still fared better than many neighbours by redesigning support rather than keeping open-ended discounts for every consumer.
He said the country was among a small group that had left behind blanket fuel subsidies he labelled unsustainable, and replaced them with narrower aid backed by digital systems. The aim, he said, was to steer money toward those who genuinely require it.
Who receives help — and who does not
According to the minister, the state has avoided spending scarce funds to cut pump prices for people who can already pay full rates, including owners of expensive vehicles such as Land Cruisers and others with ample means. Those savings, he said, were redirected to households that need assistance.
He also said the government had opened up how retail fuel prices are set, publishing the information the public needs to follow the process. Looking ahead, he told the audience that when international markets ease, people should not have to lobby him or the prime minister for relief. Lower costs, he said, ought to reach homes on their own.
Aasan alfaaz mein
Petroleum minister ne kaha ke 12 se 13 million se zyada logon ko petrol pehle jangi rates par subsidy ke sath mil raha hai. Yeh madad un logon ke liye hai jinhen zarurat hai, mahangi gaariyon walon ke liye nahi. Hormuz ke masle se petrol-gas mehengi hui, lekin Pakistan ne targeted subsidy se kaam chalaya. Agar duniya mein rates giren, to raahat khud ghar tak pahunchni chahiye.
