The PM Fuel Relief scheme is still running, but its future shape is now under formal review. A meeting between the Prime Minister and the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) leadership on 27 October 2026 has set up a joint committee to look at expanding the scheme and easing the petroleum levy in stages. For registered beneficiaries, the immediate message is simple: nothing has been closed, no end date has been announced, and tokens should continue to be used in the normal way until an official notice says otherwise.
This article explains what was decided on 27 October, who is on the committee, what it has been asked to recommend, how the International Monetary Fund (IMF) position differs from the government’s position, and what beneficiaries should watch next.
What the 27 October Meeting Decided
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met JI chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman on 27 October 2026. According to reports of the meeting, the two sides agreed on a joint committee to work on the future of fuel relief. The committee has a clear, if broad, brief: recommend ways to expand the scheme and prepare a phased reduction in the petroleum levy through the upcoming budget.
- Joint committee: Three members from the government and three from JI will sit on the panel.
- Expansion brief: The committee is to recommend expanding the fuel relief scheme, not merely continuing it in its present form.
- Levy brief: It is to frame a phased reduction in the petroleum levy, with proposals routed through the upcoming budget.
- March condition: JI’s planned mid-November march will go ahead unless a relief package is announced.
- JI position on the levy: JI rejects the reported Rs 20–30 levy-cut proposal and insists on abolition of the petroleum levy.
The reported Rs 20–30 figure is just that — reported. It has not been presented here as a confirmed government offer, and JI’s stated position is that a partial cut is not enough.
Who Sits on the Committee and What It Must Recommend
The government side of the committee has been named. The JI side is to comprise three members as well, completing a six-member panel. The committee’s job is advisory at this stage: it recommends, and any final decision on expansion or levy changes would come through the budget and government process.
| Side | Members / Role |
|---|---|
| Government | Ishaq Dar, Ahsan Iqbal and Rana Sanaullah |
| Jamaat-e-Islami | Three members |
| Task | Recommend expansion of the scheme and a phased levy reduction |
IMF Position Versus the Government Position
The committee has been formed against a sharp difference of view. On 8 October 2026, an IMF staff-level agreement, linked to a $1.21 billion tranche, called for immediately ending the scheme. Just two days later, on 10 October, the Prime Minister said the scheme will continue. That contrast explains why the current debate is about reform and expansion rather than a simple yes-or-no on continuation.
Scale is part of the story. According to Pakistan Today on 28 October, 12.7 million people are registered for the scheme. Rana Sanaullah has said beneficiaries may reach 20 million. Those figures show why any change is politically and financially significant: the scheme now touches a large share of motorists, and both its supporters and its critics are watching the committee closely.
What This Means for Your Tokens Right Now
Until an official notice changes the rules, beneficiaries should carry on as before. There is no published closure notice, no announced registration deadline in this decision, and no instruction to stop using tokens.
- Keep using your tokens: Use them within your quota and in the normal way at participating pumps.
- Pay no agents: Do not pay anyone who claims they can speed up registration, protect your token, or secure an expansion benefit for you.
- Keep your proof: Keep token and transaction proof until any dispute is resolved, so a complaint can be evidenced if a pump refuses a token.
- Wait for official word: Treat social media claims about closure, new quotas, or new eligibility rules as unverified until an official announcement confirms them.
What to Watch Next
- Committee recommendations: What expansion model and what levy-reduction phases are proposed.
- Budget route: Whether the phased reduction is built into the upcoming budget, as the meeting agreed.
- Relief package announcement: Whether a package is announced before JI’s mid-November march, which JI says will otherwise go ahead.
- Levy question: Whether the debate settles on a phased cut or moves towards JI’s demand for full abolition.
Contact
| Helpline | Who It Is For |
|---|---|
| 9771 | Public / beneficiaries |
| 9772 | Petrol pump owners |
Conclusion
The 27 October meeting did not end the fuel relief scheme, and it did not announce a new quota, a new levy rate, or an end date. It created a joint committee to recommend expansion and a phased levy reduction through the upcoming budget, while JI keeps both its mid-November march plan and its demand for abolition of the levy on the table. For beneficiaries, the practical position is unchanged for now: keep using tokens within quota, pay no agents, and wait for an official announcement before acting on any claimed change.
FAQs
Is the scheme ending?
No closure has been announced. The IMF staff-level agreement of 8 October called for immediately ending the scheme, but the Prime Minister said on 10 October that it will continue, and the 27 October meeting set up a committee to recommend expansion.
Has any end date been announced?
No official end date has been published. The idea of a three-month programme ending in mid-December is arithmetic only, not an official announcement, and it should not be treated as a deadline.
Will registration close?
No registration closure has been announced in connection with the 27 October meeting. Any future change would need an official notice.
Does the committee have a deadline?
No committee deadline has been announced in the facts available for this article. The timing to watch is the upcoming budget for levy proposals and the mid-November march condition set by JI.