Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Wednesday, 4 November 2026, that the petrol subsidy 2026 programme in Pakistan will continue until the end of December 2026, as the government seeks to shield the public from higher global oil prices.
Speaking at a federal cabinet meeting, he described the fuel subsidy scheme as progressing successfully. He said around 15 million people had used subsidy tokens, with an estimated 75 million people benefiting when an average household of five is counted. The government has so far provided about Rs28 billion in subsidies under the fuel relief programme, he added.
Price rise held back as stations face scrutiny
Shehbaz Sharif said the government had also stopped a Rs15 per litre increase in petrol prices from being passed on to consumers after international oil prices rose last Friday. According to him, the petroleum minister and his team had spoken with refineries and asked them to absorb the extra cost rather than shift it onto the public.
He called the scheme transparent and successful, while acknowledging reports of irregularities at some petrol stations. He directed the petroleum minister to shut down outlets found involved in malpractice and take strict action against those responsible. That petrol price relief in Pakistan, he linked in part to wider efforts to manage energy costs while global prices remain unsettled.
The prime minister said rising international oil prices were largely tied to instability in the region, and that Pakistan was continuing diplomatic work aimed at peace and lower tensions. He also said the government was meeting every two to three days to review risks from disruptions to maritime routes and their possible effect on energy supplies, including the availability and distribution of fuel, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG — cooking and heating gas sold in cylinders) and other energy resources ahead of winter.
On related fuel markets, he said the government had ended the influence of what he called the liquefied natural gas (LNG — gas imported in liquid form) import mafia, which he accused of earning billions of rupees over decades. LPG imports and management, he said, were now handled through a more competitive and transparent system involving state-owned entities such as Pakistan State Oil (PSO) and Pakistan Refinery Limited (PARCO). LPG imports would go through competitive processes and locally produced LPG would be auctioned, with resulting profits passed to the public through subsidies.
Timeline: what has happened so far
- Last Friday (before 4 November 2026): International oil prices rose; the prime minister said a Rs15 per litre petrol increase was kept off consumers, with refineries asked to absorb the cost.
- Previous week: A Pakistani delegation visited Tehran twice; Field Marshal Asim Munir also travelled there for talks involving Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Iran and Turkiye, the PM said, linking regional diplomacy to oil-price pressures.
- 4 November 2026: At the federal cabinet meeting, Shehbaz Sharif said the petrol subsidy 2026 scheme would run to the end of December 2026, cited about 15 million token users, roughly 75 million beneficiaries, and about Rs28 billion spent, and ordered action against stations involved in irregularities.
Aasan alfaaz mein
Wazir-e-Azam ne kaha hai ke petrol ki subsidy December 2026 ke akhir tak jari rahegi. Taqreeban 15 million logon ne subsidy tokens use kiye hain, aur gharane ke hisab se lagbhag 75 million log is se faida utha rahe hain. Hukumat ke mutabiq, pichhli Friday ko international oil mehnga hone ke bawajood Rs15 per litre ka izafa logon par nahi dala gaya. Matlab pump par woh mehngai abhi consumers ko nahi di gayi, aur programme saal ke akhir tak chalta rahega.
