Giving some cues for tackling the problem of rising oil prices and soaring inflation, Pakistan told Indian planners that it was proposing to introduce Benazir Card to provide direct subsidy to poor and owners of two-wheelers and small cars. "What we are trying to do is to introduce what we call Benazir card, which will give Rs 1,000 per month to every poor and disadvantaged households," Deputy Chairman of the Pakistani Planning Commission, Salman Faruqui, told reporters after meeting his counterpart Montek Singh Ahluwalia on Tuesday. Under the proposed scheme, owners of two-wheelers and small cars (up to 800 cc) would be provided limited quantity of fuel at subsidised rates, while the others will be required to shell out market rate. The Benazir card is expected to provide direct subsidy to five to seven million poor people and cover about 20 per cent of Pakistan's population. At the moment, Faruqui said, "We are heavily subsiding the oil sector and as a result of it non-poor are also getting benefit. I find similar situation exists in India as well." The scheme is being formulated in such a way that "the poor are targeted and given subsidy, while the household which can afford should pay the current oil prices," he said, adding that both the countries are facing several problems but rising oil and food prices are the most pressing ones. Replying questions on the issue of Iran-Pakistan-India pipeline Faruqui expressed the confidence that India would join the agreement. "From all the indications that we have, India will be joining with us. This pipeline is good for both India and Pakistan and for the energy crisis all over the world," he said.
