Chief Minister Mohammad Sohail Afridi on Sunday announced a fuel subsidy for registered motorcyclists across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa along with other relief measures.
He said the provincial government will provide Rs. 2,200 in two monthly payments to approximately 100 million people living below the poverty line. Registered motorcyclists will receive Rs. 1,100 immediately and Rs. 1,100 later to help them manage rising fuel costs.
Mr. Afridi said the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government will write to the federal government about possible petroleum supply challenges ahead of the wheat harvest. He added that the province cannot support any decision that places an extra financial burden on the public. The relief package, which includes farmers’ cards, aims to support low and middle-income households affected by higher petroleum prices.
In addition to these relief measures, the chief minister also announced the Pink Bus service under Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) for women on International Women’s Day. The service will begin with 40 additional buses and may later expand to 55 buses. Furthermore, BRT fares will remain unchanged.
Mr. Afridi criticised the federal government’s increase in petroleum prices, saying petrol had risen from Rs. 85 to Rs. 105 per litre. He said the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government kept petrol prices unchanged for seven months, providing significant relief despite financial pressure. He warned that if petroleum prices keep rising, the province could face possible fuel supply challenges.
The chief minister referred to the helicopter crash during flood relief operations and said public welfare should take priority over administrative spending. Mr. Afridi also said the provincial government has launched a petroleum supply monitoring dashboard across the province which will help track fuel availability and detect disruptions in real time. He added that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa currently leads the country in implementing such systems.
