PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Mohammad Sohail Afridi on Sunday announced subsidy for registered motorcycle riders across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa following increase in petroleum prices by federal government.

He said that a relief package for farmers was on cards ahead of wheat harvest. “The subsidy is intended to shield low and middle income households from the financial burden created by the latest increase in fuel prices,” he told a press conference at Chief Minister’s House.

According to a statement, the chief minister said that provincial government could not support any decision or policy that put additional burden on already struggling people. He rejected the recent increase in prices of petroleum products.

“We believe that the increase will have an impact on around 100 million people, who have been living below the poverty line,” he said. He announced Rs2,200 for registered motorcyclists with Rs1,100 immediately and Rs1,100 later on, saying the government would be paying the additional cost for Bust Rapid Transit.

Reaffirming his government’s commitment to protecting public welfare, the chief minister announced that BRT fares would not be increased despite the prevailing economic pressures, in order to prevent further inflationary impact on commuters.

Afridi says KP will write to federal govt about potential supply challenges; relief package for farmers on cards ahead of wheat harvest

He announced the introduction of pink buses for women on the occasion of International Women’s Day, within the BRT system to improve safe and accessible public transport for female passengers. He said that 140 additional buses would be procured, of which 52 buses had already been manufactured.

He stated that the Rs55 per litre increase in petrol prices was unjustified and placed an excessive burden on people. He added that provincial government categorically rejected the decision.

Mr Afridi criticised the apparent inconsistency in the positions of ruling parties, noting that the same political actors had previously described Rs12 increase as a “petrol bomb,” yet now they imposed a far larger increase without acknowledging its impact on people.

He also questioned the purchase of a luxury aircraft worth Rs12 billion by the Punjab government, describing it as an example of misplaced priorities at a time when public resources should instead be directed towards relief of people and economic stability.

The chief minister said that governments must curtail unnecessary expenditures and reduce administrative extravagance rather than shifting the burden to people.

Addressing the broader energy situation, he acknowledged that global oil prices influenced domestic pricing but the magnitude of the increase and the policy approach adopted by federal government remained key concerns.

Mr Afridi said that petroleum levy was increased from Rs85 to Rs105 per litre. He said that federal government had already collected Rs822 billion in petroleum levies during the first seven months of the current fiscal year, with projections indicating that the total could reach approximately Rs1.7 trillion by the end of the fiscal year.

“Reducing this levy could have provided meaningful relief to consumers,” said the chief minister. He described the federal government’s decision to engage with provinces through consultations by federal ministers for finance and petroleum as a positive step.

However, he cautioned that if global conditions deteriorated further, there might be risks of petrol and diesel shortage. He confirmed that the KP government would submit formal written proposals to federal government to address potential supply challenges.

“Our commitment is not to any government but to Pakistan itself, because Pakistan belongs to all of us,” he said.

Highlighting his government’s austerity measures, he noted that most members of KP Assembly came from middle class backgrounds, yet government refrained from increasing salaries. In addition, provincial government imposed ban on foreign visits and purchase of new official vehicles as part of its cost containment measures, he added.

The chief minister said that despite the helicopter crash during flood relief operations, provincial government had not yet purchased a replacement helicopter, prioritising public welfare over administrative expenditure.

He also recalled that during the Covid-19 pandemic, the PTI government successfully managed the country under extremely challenging circumstances. He added that provincial government remained committed to providing relief to people in line with the vision of PTI founder Imran Khan and multiple initiatives were being undertaken to achieve that objective.

He said that provincial government had established a dedicated monitoring dashboard for petrol pumps across the province. “Through this system, authorities are able to monitor fuel availability and identify cases of hoarding or supply disruption in real time,” he added.

The chief minister said that KP was currently leading the country in development and implementation of such fuel monitoring systems. He said that Pakistan was confronted with difficult situation as Iran was under attack while tension with Afghanistan also continued, while on the other hand, the country was facing internal issues due to wrong policies of rulers.

“Federal government’s representatives visited Peshawar. I think it was a good step to take provinces onboard. We have categorically rejected the increase and told them that all the government officials, VIPs and VVIPs should reduce their expenses rather than overburdening people,” said Mr Afridi.

Published in Dawn, March 9th, 2026