Islamabad: Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has announced a special relief scheme to reduce the impact of rising petrol prices on the public amid escalating tensions in the Middle East and a consequent increase in global oil prices.

The Prime Minister said the government was fully aware of the additional burden being placed on the people due to higher fuel prices and assured that the public would not be left alone during the difficult situation.

He said the special scheme was being introduced to provide relief to users of motorcycles, rickshaws, Qingqi vehicles and small cars.

Under the scheme, eligible consumers would receive a relief of Rs100 per litre on petrol.

Motorcycle, rickshaw, Qingqi and other two- and three-wheeler users would be entitled to relief on 20 litres of petrol per month, at Rs100 per litre.

Owners of vehicles with engines up to 800cc would receive relief on 30 litres of petrol per month, at the rate of Rs100 per litre.

The Prime Minister said the scheme would be implemented within Islamabad from the night between Monday and Tuesday, while its implementation across Pakistan, including Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, would begin from the night between Wednesday and Thursday.

Registration for the special relief scheme has started from today. An awareness campaign will also be launched to provide citizens with details about the registration procedure and other relevant information.

The Prime Minister thanked the provincial governments for their cooperation in providing data related to motorcycles, rickshaws and small vehicles and facilitating the registration process.