Pakistan announces free public transport as energy crisis bites

Islamabad, Pakistan: State run public transport in Pakistan s capital and most populous province will be free for the coming month, officials said on...

Islamabad, Pakistan: State-run public transport in Pakistan's capital and most populous province will be free for the coming month, officials said on Friday, after the government drastically raised fuel prices due to spiking global energy prices caused by the Middle East conflict.

The announcement follows a late-night decision to impose a 42.7-percent rise in the price of petrol and 54.9 percent on diesel, which prompted several street protests.

Long queues of motorbikes were also seen at fuel stations.

"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 government will bear a burden of 350 million rupees (around $1.25 million), he added.