ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday instructed that stringent measures should be taken against the smuggling and “illegal hoarding” of petroleum products, a statement issued by his office said.

The statement was released by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) after the premier chaired a meeting in Islamabad with a focus on the petroleum products’ supply chain and austerity measures that were announced in view of the ongoing Middle East conflict.

The conflict began with the US and Israel launching attacks on Iran on February 28. The world has faced a fuel crisis since, primarily resulting from the disruption of traffic in the Strait of Hormuz — a corridor that had been the route for 20 per cent of global liquified natural gas and a quarter of seaborne oil until the war began.

In view of the situation, the government announced unprecedented austerity measures on March 9 and initially also hiked petrol and diesel prices by Rs55 per litre. But, according to PM Shehbaz, he has rejected proposals for a further hike in the prices of two oil products thrice since then.

The meeting that he chaired on Tuesday reviewed measures to provide relief to low-income groups in the present situation, the PMO statement said.

“The prime minister directed the relevant ministries to consult provinces on the matter and then present final recommendations,” it said, adding that he also issued instructions for strict action against the smuggling and “illegal hoarding” of petroleum products.

It quoted PM Shehbaz as saying: “The federal government has taken significant steps over the past three weeks to provide relief to low-income groups, and it will continue to take such measures in the future as well.”

He said the federal government had managed to provide a relief of Rs129 billion to the common man by making cuts in the development budget and implementing austerity measures.

“Sufficient stocks of petroleum products are available to meet the country’s requirements due to the federal government’s timely decisions,” he added.

“Providing relief to the people is our top priority,” he asserted.

The PMO statement said the meeting was also briefed on the progress of the implementation of austerity measures and was told that the petroleum products’ supply, demand and the supply chain were being regularly monitored through a digital dashboard.

Several federal ministers and officials attended the meeting, the statement said.

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday called on President Asif Ali Zardari to discuss the overall national security situation and key challenges facing the country, according to the President’s Secretariat.

The meeting comes a day after the quadrilateral ministerial moot in Islamabad, involving the foreign ministers of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Egypt, discussing possible ways to bring an “early and permanent end” to the war in the region. The foregin ministers of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Turkiye had also called on PM Shehbaz after the meeting concluded.

According to President’s Secretariat, the meeting was attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi. National Security Adviser and Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Director General (DG) Asim Malik also participated in the meeting.

During the meeting, participants held a detailed discussion on the overall national security situation, reviewed the evolving regional scenario and its implications for Pakistan, the secretariat said.

They further deliberated on economic, energy and security challenges, it added. It stated that the leadership also “emphasised the need for a coordinated national strategy and institutional harmony”.

Last week, President Zardari had also chaired a high-level meeting with PM Shehbaz, Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir and other ministers.

The meeting had reviewed the economic, energy and regional situation amid oil and gas supply concerns, focusing on coordination, austerity, fuel conservation and public relief.

President chairs consultative meeting

Later in the day, President Zardari also chaired an “expanded consultative meeting” at Aiwan-i-Sadr with PM Shehbaz and the leadership of all provinces, as well as Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir in attendance, a statement by the President’s Secretariat said.

It said ISI DG Malik, Dar, Bilawal and Naqvi, as well as several other federal ministers, also attended the meeting, among others.

President Zardari directed during the meeting that, keeping in view the “oil and gas supply pressures, escalating energy costs, and the evolving regional environment, all possible measures should be taken to ease the burden of rising prices on the common man, especially for essential goods and services”, the statement said.

It added that the meeting was briefed on the steps being taken by governments of the four provinces, as well as that of GB and AJK, to “manage price pressures, ensure the availability of essential supplies and mitigate the impact on the public, enabling a coordinated national response”.

The meeting also reviewed the broader regional situation and its potential effects on Pakistan’s security environment, economic outlook and food security, it said.

“The meeting was assured that despite the global crisis, timely decisions have ensured no disruption to fuel supply, and that adequate fuel stocks are currently available to meet the country’s needs, with arrangements for the future also underway,” it added.

DPM Dar informed the meeting about the government’s “proactive diplomatic outreach, including his recent engagements with the leadership of Turkiye, Saudi Arabia and Egypt, as well as leaders of countries involved in the conflict. He also briefed the meeting on his upcoming visit to Beijing”, the statement said.

It said the meeting was informed that proposals to increase oil prices had repeatedly been rejected by the prime minister, and that funds saved through austerity measures were being channelled towards public relief.

“It was noted that the spirit of austerity had begun with the government cutting down its own expenditure, including cuts to the development budget and the immediate grounding of 60 per cent of official vehicles,” the statement said.

It further stated that the president reiterated that the “economically vulnerable people would not be left alone in this difficult time”.

He directed “coordinated decision-making”, with alignment between economic management, energy planning, food security measures and security preparedness.

“The president also asked for the need for public awareness efforts, focusing on reducing fuel consumption, encouraging the use of public transportation and promoting shared mobility practices as part of a broader demand management approach,” the statement said.