Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday directed authorities to take strict action against those involved in creating artificial shortages of petroleum products amid escalating US-Iran tension.
Chairing a meeting, Prime Minister Shehbaz was briefed on the government’s austerity measures and preparations to address challenges arising from the uncertain regional situation.
The prime minister directed relevant authorities to remain fully prepared and stressed the need for a comprehensive strategy to ensure timely measures whenever required. “By the grace of Allah, Pakistan’s economy is currently stable. However, a comprehensive plan should be prepared to deal with any possible situation,” the Prime Minister said.
He said government subsidies helped control the impact of rising fuel prices and appreciated public cooperation in the national campaign for conserving petroleum products and energy.
PM Shehbaz said timely and effective decisions by the federal government helped manage the country’s fuel supply situation efficiently. He added that the measures taken provided relief to ordinary citizens, motorcyclists, rickshaw drivers, and transporters from the impact of increased petroleum prices.
The prime minister warned that escalating regional tensions could negatively affect Pakistan’s economy in the future and stressed the need to promote a culture of conservation and savings at the national level.
The meeting was informed that sufficient petroleum reserves were available to meet the country’s requirements, while arrangements had been made to ensure an uninterrupted fuel supply in the future.
Federal Ministers Ahsan Khan Cheema, Muhammad Aurangzeb, Ali Pervez Malik, and Owais Khan Leghari attended the meeting along with State Minister Bilal Azhar Kayani, Special Assistant Tariq Bajwa, State Bank of Pakistan Governor Jameel Ahmad, and senior government officials.