PM vows more relief for lower and middle-income Pakistanis

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif says the government is trying to expand relief for poor and middle-income households while protecting the country from the economic spillover of the Middle East conflict. Chairing a review meeting in Islamabad, he said Pakistan had managed to avoid fuel supply disruption through timely decisions and stronger monitoring.

According to the briefing shared in the meeting, the government has reduced spending, cut parts of the development budget and grounded 60% of official vehicles as part of its austerity drive. Shehbaz said proposals to increase fuel prices had been rejected repeatedly and that the savings were being used for public support instead.

The meeting was also told that fuel and medicine stocks were sufficient and that work was under way with provincial governments to speed up registration of motorcycles and rickshaws so relief could be delivered more quickly through digital systems. The prime minister linked the domestic response to Pakistan's broader diplomatic push for regional peace.