Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has announced a three-month relief period for electricity lifeline consumers using less than 200 units per month. According to a statement on the X account of state broadcaster PTV News, the government will provide a Rs50 billion discount to these consumers during July, August, and September.
Over this period, 25 million consumers across the country are expected to benefit from this government initiative. The statement highlighted that this relief measure would positively impact 94 per cent of domestic electricity consumers nationwide.
Speaking at a press briefing in Islamabad, PM Shehbaz announced a package aimed at providing relief to approximately 25 million domestic consumers classified in the protected category over the next three months until September.
He stated, “Today, we have allocated Rs50 billion to grant a discount of Rs4-7 per unit to our protected category consumers who use up to 200 units per month, spanning from July to September.” The prime minister emphasized that this initiative would benefit around 25 million domestic electricity consumers, representing about 94% of the total consumer base.
He mentioned that the federal government had reallocated the mentioned amount from its development budget to fulfil its commitment to public relief, contrasting it with the “empty promises” of previous administrations.
Shehbaz also assured the public of additional relief measures as the government expanded its fiscal space through ongoing initiatives such as taxing the wealthy, broadening the tax base, shutting down underperforming entities, and stopping financial leaks.
Addressing federal ministers and senior government officials, he stated that during its previous 16-month tenure, the coalition government had prevented the country from defaulting, even at the risk of its own political stability.
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PM Shehbaz informed the audience that the government was preparing to sign a three-year program with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and had kept them informed about the relief measures announced for domestic electricity consumers.
