The government is setting up help desks at petrol pumps to guide people through registration for Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s fuel subsidy scheme for low- and middle-income households.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif gave the instructions during a review meeting in Islamabad on September 16 to assess progress on the PM Special Relief Scheme introduced after the rise in petroleum prices amid the Gulf situation.

The subsidy is available to owners of motorcycles, rickshaws and vehicles with engines up to 800cc.

The new help desks will include government officials, volunteers and petrol station staff. They will guide eligible citizens through registration and other required steps.

The Prime Minister directed the relevant authorities to keep the public informed about the scheme and provide all possible assistance during the registration process.

Officials briefed the meeting that the scheme, initially launched as a pilot in Islamabad, has now been rolled out across Pakistan, including Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan.

Registration requires only four pieces of information: the applicant’s Computerized National Identity Card (CNIC) number, vehicle number plate, province of registration and vehicle registration date.

The government said successful registrations are gradually increasing, while provincial governments are cooperating with the federal government to implement the scheme nationwide.

Complete details of the fuel subsidy scheme are available on its Urdu website.

The meeting was attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, federal ministers Ahsan Khan Cheema, Attaullah Tarar, Shaza Fatima Khawaja and Ali Pervaiz Malik, Minister of State for Finance Bilal Azhar Kayani, Special Assistant Tariq Bajwa and senior officials from relevant institutions.