Free transport announced in Islamabad
- By Web Desk -
- Apr 03, 2026
ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Friday announced free public transport in Islamabad for all passengers following a massive increase in petrol prices.
In a statement on X, Mohsin Naqvi said that, on the directions of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, all public transport in Islamabad will be made free of cost for the general public for the next 30 days, starting tomorrow.
The Ministry of Interior will bear the expenditure of Rs350 million for this public relief initiative, he added.
The government expects the initiative to benefit thousands of commuters each day, particularly students, workers, and low-income households who rely heavily on public transport.
Further details on operational adjustments and routes covered under the scheme are expected to be shared in the coming days.
The federal government has raised the price of petrol by Rs138 per litre, bringing the new rate to Rs458.40 per litre. Meanwhile, diesel prices have increased by Rs184 per litre, reaching Rs520.35 per litre.
Meanwhile, Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan chief Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman strongly condemned the sharp increase in petroleum prices, terming it a “petrol bomb” dropped on the public by the government.
He also announced the launch of a nationwide protest movement against the hike.
In a video statement, Hafiz Naeem urged the government to defer payments to Independent Power Producers (IPPs) and regasification plants, and to reduce its own expenditures instead of placing additional burden on the public.
Criticizing government spending, he alleged that authorities are unwilling to reduce their own luxuries while imposing financial pressure on the public.
Hafiz Naeem questioned why payments to IPPs—amounting to billions under capacity charges—cannot be deferred, claiming that such payments are placing an undue burden on the public.
He also highlighted that regasification plants installed at ports are continuing to receive daily payments despite no gas supply, questioning why these payments are not being stopped.