Pakistan has announced that all public transport in the capital, Islamabad, will be free for the next 30 days as the country faces a severe fuel crisis triggered by the ongoing war in Iran. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said on Friday, April 3, that the decision was made under the direction of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and will take effect from Saturday, April 4. The Interior Ministry will allocate 350 million rupees to fund the initiative.

The government of Punjab, Pakistan’s most populous and economically significant province, has also introduced a similar free transport scheme to ease citizens’ financial burdens. The fuel shortage has intensified as oil prices have surged sharply, with diesel rising by about 55 percent to 520 rupees per liter and petrol by 42 percent to 458 rupees. The price hikes have directly affected the transport sector and the cost of essential goods.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also confirmed that two Pakistani ships successfully crossed the Strait of Hormuz and that 20 more are preparing to sail under the national flag.