Pakistan announces free public transport in Islamabad and Punjab for one month after rolling back a steep fuel price hike that sparked street protests.
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s government has announced free state-run public transport in the capital and its most populous province for one month. The move follows widespread protests against a drastic overnight increase in fuel prices, which was later partially reversed.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced a reduction in the petrol levy in a televised address. He set the new price at 378 rupees per litre, down from a planned 485 rupees, promising the decrease would last for at least one month.
“I promise I will not rest until your life is back to normal,” Sharif said. The price for diesel, however, will remain at 520 rupees per litre following a 54.9% hike.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi stated all public transport in Islamabad would be free for 30 days starting Saturday. The government will bear a cost of 350 million rupees for this subsidy.
In Punjab, Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif also lifted fares for state-run transport and announced targeted subsidies for trucks and buses. She urged operators not to pass increased costs to passengers, promising to relieve the public burden as soon as conditions improve.
Similar subsidies for motorcyclists and small farmers were announced in Sindh province, home to Karachi. The measures are a response to economic strain exacerbated by regional conflict.
The US-Israel war on Iran has disrupted Middle Eastern energy supplies and shipping. This has increased pressure on economies like Pakistan’s, which imports most of its fuel.
The government has also unveiled austerity measures to save fuel. These include a four-day workweek for many offices, extended school holidays, and moving some classes online.
Dozens protested in Lahore against the initial price hike. “The government, overnight, has dropped a ‘petrol bomb’ on its people,” protester Naveed Ahmed told AFP.
“Our nation cannot bear this situation right now. This storm of inflation must be stopped,” he added. Another protester, Hafiz Abdul Rauf, blamed pressure from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
The IMF recently reached an initial agreement with Pakistan to unlock a new $1.2 billion package. It has warned vulnerable economies face pressure from both higher energy prices and supply chain issues.
Pakistan is a lower-middle-income country where roughly 25% of its 240 million population lives in poverty. The government had resisted further fuel increases for weeks before Friday’s announcement.
