Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is expected to take President Asif Ali Zardari into confidence over a proposal to include provinces in sharing the burden of petroleum subsidies, as the federal government also prepares to introduce a digital system to ration fuel consumption, according to official sources.

Sources told Raised By Numbers that the prime minister is likely to meet the president at Aiwan-i-Sadr later today to discuss plans to involve provincial governments in financing subsidies on petroleum products.

The federal government has already provided around Rs. 100 billion in fuel subsidies, the benefit of which has been extended to consumers across the country, they added.

Officials said the government is now engaging with provincial administrations to contribute to the subsidy framework to ease pressure on federal finances.

Separately, the government is developing a digital mechanism to ration petroleum products via a dedicated mobile application. Under the proposed system, consumers would be required to register by entering their vehicle registration number and national identity card details.

According to sources, the app would allocate a fuel quota to each registered user based on assessed need and availability. Consumers would then be able to purchase petrol or diesel within their assigned daily limits.

Officials said the proposal follows a comparative assessment of petroleum consumption over the past year, which indicated that fuel usage has continued to rise despite higher prices. The prime minister is expected to brief the president on both the proposal to involve provinces in subsidy financing and the planned digital rationing system during the meeting.