The idea was suggested by former Punjab caretaker transport minister Ibrahim Hassan Murad, who said the initiative could provide quick and effective relief to students who depend on motorcycles for daily travel.

According to Murad, the proposed fuel card scheme could cost around Rs10 billion per month. Under the plan, each student would receive about 10 litres of petrol every month at a discounted price, helping them manage transportation expenses.

He said that a large number of students could benefit from this facility, especially those who travel to colleges and universities on motorcycles. The proposal suggests that the scheme could run for a limited period of three months to provide temporary relief during the current fuel crisis.

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Murad pointed out that there are nearly 17 million motorcycles in Punjab, many of which are used by students for commuting. A targeted subsidy through fuel cards could therefore directly help a large segment of the population.

The proposal comes shortly after the government increased petrol and diesel prices by Rs55 per litre, a move that has raised concerns among the public about rising transportation costs.

Federal Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik explained that the increase was unavoidable due to rising international oil prices. He said that on March 1, petrol was priced at $78 per barrel and diesel at $88 per barrel in the global market.

However, by March 6, the prices had increased significantly, with petrol reaching $106.80 per barrel and diesel climbing to nearly $150 per barrel. Because of this surge, the government had to make the difficult decision to raise domestic fuel prices.

The minister added that the government would try to ensure a stable fuel supply and review prices again if the international market situation improves.