Shehbaz Sharif Orders License Cancellations for Fuel Subsidy Violations

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif ordered the cancellation of licenses for petrol pumps that refuse to provide fuel subsidies to eligible beneficiaries under the Prime Minister's Fuel Relief Program. During a review meeting in Islamabad, Sharif warned of strict action against outlets denying the facility, stating that registered citizens must face no hurdles in accessing subsidized fuel.

The directive follows reports that approximately 31,000 consumers were denied subsidies due to service refusals or technical faults. As of November 2026, more than 15.5 million citizens have registered for the scheme, including 15.06 million motorcycle owners and 449,800 owners of vehicles up to 800cc. The government has issued over 63 million fuel tokens, with approximately 59.4 million redeemed.

To date, the government has disbursed Rs28.6 billion from a total allocation of Rs75 billion approved by the Economic Coordination Committee of the Cabinet. The program utilizes a digital Fuel Pass System managed by the Ministry of IT and Telecommunication to ensure transparency. Sharif noted that simplifying the registration process and the procedure for obtaining the subsidy has led to an increase in registrations, allowing more deserving citizens to benefit from the facility.