To protect the poor and middle class from the negative effects of inflation, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced on Tuesday that one million people in the federal capital would receive free wheat flour and discounted gasoline during Ramadan.
The country's 8,500 utility stores and 20,000 new points created "for the convenience of the general public" will be used to distribute the goods.
He also announced that rikshaws and motorcycles will receive subsidized gasoline from the government.
He invited the governments of Balochistan, Sindh, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to participate in the plan to assist the most in need.
The meeting was attended by senior officers, including State Minister for Petroleum Dr. Musaddik Malik, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, Adviser to the Prime Minister Ahad Cheema, and former premier Shahid Khaqan Abbasi.
Muslims around the world observe Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, as a month of sharing, fasting, and prayer.
The Ruet-e-Hilal committee, which observes the new moon and announces the beginning of Ramadan, is scheduled to meet on March 22. The first fast in Pakistan is likely to be observed on Thursday, March 23.
