KARACHI — The Sindh government’s newly launched digital portal for motorcycle fuel subsidies was temporarily forced offline on Tuesday following a series of sophisticated “hacking attempts.” Excise Minister Mukesh Kumar Chawla confirmed that the system has since been secured and restored, allowing thousands of Karachi’s distressed bikers to resume their applications for the Rs2,000 monthly relief.
Key Highlights
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The Breach: The (taxportal.excise.gos.pk) portal faced repeated cyber-attacks shortly after its launch by CM Murad Ali Shah, causing hours of downtime for users.
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Current Progress: 15,000 motorcycles have been registered so far; 3,000 have successfully applied for the subsidy.
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Direct Transfers: Rs2,000 each has already been deposited into the Sindh Bank accounts of 1,500 verified individuals.
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Target Reach: Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon announced that the program aims to cover all 6.7 million registered motorcycles in the province.
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Sindh Excise Minister Mukesh Kumar Chawla said on Tuesday that the online fuel subsidy system for motorcyclists was “temporarily shut down due to repeated hacking attempts”. https://t.co/AQ6KemLWhm— Asad Ali Toor (@AsadAToor) April 8, 2026
A High-Stakes Digital Shield
The outage caused widespread frustration across Karachi as motorcyclists, already reeling from the national fuel price hike, found themselves unable to access the promised relief. Minister Chawla assured the public during a press conference that the provincial IT department worked overnight to bolster the portal’s security protocols.
“The system was temporarily shut down as a defensive measure,” the Minister explained. “It is now fully functional and armored against further disruptive attempts.” To avail the subsidy, riders must enter their CNIC and bank account details through the official excise portal to receive automated confirmation.
Scale of the Relief: Rs13.4 Billion Monthly Goal
With 6.7 million bikes registered in Sindh, the provincial government is looking at a massive monthly disbursement of approximately Rs13.4 billion. This provincial “Peoples Motorcycle Fuel Subsidy” runs parallel to the federal “PM Fuel Package,” providing a much-needed double layer of protection for lower-income commuters in Sindh.
Minister Sharjeel Memon emphasized that the government is committed to a transparent, paperless process. “We recognize that every rupee counts for our bikers right now. We will not let technical or criminal disruptions stand in the way of this support,” he stated.
The ministers linked the vigilance required for such high-stakes security operations to the same rigor being applied to protect the state’s digital infrastructure. “Whether it is narcotics or cyber-attacks, we are defending the people of Sindh on all fronts,” Memon added.
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