Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Sunday announced a major relief initiative for the public, securing a province-wide fare freeze after successful negotiations with transporters, alongside a tar-geted subsidy programme to offset the impact of soaring fuel prices.
Addressing a press conference at CM House, flanked by provincial ministers, transporters representa-tives and top government officers, the chief minister said the government had worked out a compre-hensive strategy to protect citizens – particularly low-income commuters – from rising transportation costs triggered by global fuel price increases.
The office bearers of the transport sector attended the press conference, while divisional commis-sioners and regional transport authorities joined via video link, reflecting the importance of coordinat-ed province-wide implementation.
At the outset, the chief minister extended Easter greetings to the Christian community across the country, particularly in the province.
Murad Ali Shah said that following a series of consultations, transporters operating both inter-city and intra-city routes have agreed not to increase fares and to maintain rates as of February 28, 2026.
I am thankful to the transporters for supporting the government s relief efforts in the national inter-est, he said, adding that despite increased operational costs, transporters had shown responsibility by agreeing to pass on relief to the public.
Transporters representatives, including Karachi Transport Ittehad leader Haji Tawab and inter-city op-erator Shabar Malik, reaffirmed their commitment, stating that maintaining fares was a collective deci-sion to support citizens during difficult economic conditions.
The chief minister said the government would provide financial support to transporters based on route permits to compensate for increased fuel costs and ensure the sustainability of services.
He explained that subsidies would include federal support and additional provincial assistance, ena-bling transporters to continue operations without burdening passengers. The government will bear the subsidy cost so that fares remain stable across the province, he said. Murad Shah noted that over 11,000 buses operate in Sindh, and maintaining fares through subsidies would cost the provincial government an estimated Rs3 to Rs4 billion.
