Lahore: Federal Minister for Petroleum Ali Pervaiz Malik has said that the government will continue the cheap petrol scheme to provide relief to the public on petroleum products. According to him, if necessary, the program can be extended for another 10 months, for which resources ranging from Rs 400 to 500 billion will be considered.
Addressing a function in Lahore, the federal minister said that more than 6 million deserving people have benefited from the scheme so far. He said that to meet the expenses of the program, the government will spend the money on public relief by cutting its budget.
Ali Pervaiz Malik’s statement shows that the government intends to continue the scheme to support the low-income group during the pressure of petroleum product prices. However, more details regarding the distribution of the proposed amount, selection of deserving people and the duration of the program are yet to be revealed.
The federal minister, while clarifying his previous statement regarding the prices of petroleum products, said that his words were misrepresented. He said that he had mentioned the difficulties of controlling prices in the event of a possible shortage of petrol, and not predicted an oil shortage in the country. He assured that there would be no shortage of oil in Pakistan.
Addressing the ceremony, Ali Pervaiz Malik also spoke about the political situation. He asked the opposition to prioritize the country’s interests before political differences. He said that efforts to put the state under pressure would not be allowed.
The federal minister said that there is no political interest greater than the stability of Pakistan. He also responded to the demand for the release of a person by advancing towards Islamabad and said that the state is not so weak that it can be put under pressure in this way.
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