ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, April 4, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - State-run public transport in Pakistan's capital and most populous province will be free for the coming month, officials said Friday, after the government drastically raised fuel prices due to the Iran war. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif backpedaled late Friday, saying he was reducing the levy and setting petrol prices at 378 rupees per litre. - Economic burden -"All public transport in Islamabad will be made free of cost for the general public for the next 30 days, starting tomorrow (Saturday)," Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi wrote on X. The chief minister of Pakistan's most populous province, Punjab, also lifted the cost of travel for state-run public transport, and announced "targeted subsidies" for trucks and buses. Several Asian countries have hiked fuel prices or implemented other measures to address the crisis sparked by the Iran war.

Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha April 04, 2026 02:49 UTC