Over 2.2 million registered for PM’s fuel scheme: Tarar

More than 2.2 million people have registered for the Prime Minister’s Special Fuel Relief Scheme, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said, according to a report by The Nation. The disclosure came as the federal government reviewed the programme and cleared SMS-based fuel tokens for areas without internet access.

The Nation reported on Sunday that Mr Tarar shared the registration figure. The report did not provide a province-wise breakdown or say when the registration window opened, but it described the figure as the latest count for the national relief initiative.

Radio Pakistan separately reported that the deputy prime minister chaired a meeting on the Prime Minister’s Special Fuel Relief Scheme. The state broadcaster said the meeting reviewed progress on the programme, but it did not name the deputy prime minister or give the date of the meeting.

Pakistan Connect reported that the meeting approved SMS fuel tokens for areas without internet. Under the arrangement, residents in those areas would be able to receive fuel tokens through text messages instead of using a smartphone application or the internet, the outlet said.

The Prime Minister’s Special Fuel Relief Scheme is a federal relief programme for fuel consumers. The three outlets carried the development independently, and no conflicting figures or details were reported about the registration total or the SMS token decision. The Nation, Radio Pakistan and Pakistan Connect each carried the story on Sunday, but none published the full text of Mr Tarar’s remarks or the meeting’s decisions.

The government has not issued a consolidated statement on the latest registration count or the timeline for activating the SMS token system. The reports also did not specify the value of the fuel relief, the eligibility criteria for the scheme, or whether the SMS token system would apply across the country or only in selected districts. No other government department has separately confirmed the registration figure. The reports left several questions unanswered. Skardu Times could not independently verify the registration figure or the SMS token approval beyond these reports.