The revised relief scheme removes the five-litre minimum and raises the age limit for eligible two- and three-wheelers to 20 years.
ISLAMABAD, September 18, 2026: The government has revised the Prime Minister’s Special Relief Scheme, allowing eligible motorcycles, three-wheelers and rickshaws to receive free petrol worth up to Rs500 per week, while removing the previous minimum five-litre purchase requirement.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar chaired a meeting of the National Steering Committee on Fuel Subsidy on Friday to review implementation of the scheme and public feedback received during the first 48 hours of its nationwide rollout.
Following citizens’ feedback, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif approved two changes covering motorcycles, three-wheelers and rickshaws.
Five-litre minimum requirement removed
Under the revised arrangement, beneficiaries will no longer need to purchase a minimum of five litres of petrol in a single transaction.
Instead, eligible beneficiaries will receive a weekly token worth Rs500, which can be redeemed for fuel in any quantity. The change will allow consumers who buy smaller quantities of petrol to benefit from the relief scheme.
The government has also increased the eligibility age limit for two-wheelers and three-wheelers from 15 years to 20 years.
For four-wheelers with engine capacity of up to 800cc, there is no change to the existing arrangement. Eligible beneficiaries will continue to receive one 10-litre token every 10 days, equivalent to three tokens per month.
Full Rs500 benefit to go to consumers
The government clarified that the full Rs500 value of the token will be passed on to beneficiaries.
Petrol stations will not be permitted to deduct any amount from the benefit or impose a service charge.
The steering committee also reviewed progress on registration, token redemption and payment settlement with participating fuel stations.
Dar directed the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) to provide payment-status reports twice daily, at 11am and 7pm.
He instructed the central bank to identify rejected transactions and specify the reasons for rejection so that outstanding issues could be resolved promptly.
Alternative arrangements for remote areas
Dar also ordered alternative arrangements for fuel stations operating in areas with limited or no internet connectivity.
The arrangements will cover Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and remote rural areas in other parts of the country.
The deputy prime minister stressed that the scheme was intended to provide relief to vulnerable citizens and directed authorities to ensure that eligible beneficiaries were not excluded because of their geographical location.
The meeting was attended by federal ministers, the Minister of State for Finance and Revenue, senior officials from the SBP and Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA), provincial additional chief secretaries and representatives from AJK, GB, Islamabad Capital Territory and relevant federal and provincial departments.