Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday instructed the Petroleum Minister to take steps to enhance Pakistan’s petroleum import supply chain further, and that all relevant departments should remain prepared for emergency measures until the situation stabilises, according to a statement released by the Prime Minister’s Office.
The prime minister chaired a meeting to review the implementation of fuel-saving and austerity measures in light of the regional situation. The meeting was briefed on the progress of the measures, with officials confirming that “directives issued by the Prime Minister are being effectively enforced.”
The meeting was attended by Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Auhd Khan Cheema, Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Muhammad Aurangzeb, Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Atta Ullah Tarar, Federal Minister for Climate Change Dr Musaddiq Malik, Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecom Shaza Fatima, Minister of State for Finance and Railways Bilal Azhar Kiani, Special Assistant Tariq Bajwa, State Bank Governor Jameel Ahmad, and other senior officials.
According to the press release, the Intelligence Bureau will provide “regular monitoring reports on the implementation of all measures.” At the same time, briefings confirmed that “the country has sufficient petroleum product reserves to meet current needs.”
Officials also confirmed that “all situations are being closely monitored, and records of petroleum products are maintained to ensure any irregularities are immediately identified.”
The press release noted that “cabinet members have voluntarily foregone their salaries” and that “positive results from fuel reductions in government departments are being observed,” with the measures expected to “help provide relief to the public under current conditions.”
