PESHAWAR: Sohail Afridi, Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, on Monday announced a Rs2,200 subsidy for motorcyclists across the province to help ease the financial burden caused by rising fuel prices.
Speaking at a press conference alongside Special Assistant on Information Shafi Jan and Finance Adviser Muzammil Aslam, the chief minister said the relief measure was aimed at supporting citizens facing increased transportation costs following the recent hike in petroleum prices.
Afridi strongly criticised the price increase announced by the federal government, describing it as an “economic bomb” on the public. He said the provincial government rejected the decision and urged the centre to consult provincial authorities before implementing such measures.
According to the chief minister, the federal government should prioritise reducing its own expenditures rather than shifting the financial burden onto the public.
He also accused the federal government of politicising various national issues. Afridi noted that when fuel prices were raised during the COVID-19 pandemic, opposition parties had strongly criticised the move.
The chief minister said his party had refrained from politicising national tragedies, including floods in Punjab and the fire incident at Gul Plaza.
Announcing details of the subsidy programme, Afridi said the provincial government had decided to provide financial assistance to motorcyclists to offset rising transportation expenses. He noted that approximately 1.4 to 1.6 million motorcycles are registered in the province, and each registered motorcycle owner would receive Rs2,200 under the relief initiative.
Afridi added that the provincial government had also decided not to increase fares for the Peshawar Bus Rapid Transit system, with the government absorbing the additional operational costs.
As part of broader austerity measures, he said the provincial administration had banned the purchase and sale of new government vehicles and restricted international travel for officials to reduce expenditures.
The chief minister further stated that despite the crash of the provincial government’s helicopter, the administration had decided not to purchase a replacement as part of its cost-cutting efforts.