Federal govt decides to include Friday in weekly off schedule

Islamabad: In view of the prevailing regional situation, the federal government has decided to observe an additional weekly holiday on Friday.

On Tuesday, a review meeting was held under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to assess the implementation of the government’s announced measures aimed at austerity and energy conservation.

The prime minister directed all federal ministries and divisions to strictly implement steps related to simplicity, austerity, and energy saving.

Shehbaz Sharif instructed all ministries and institutions to send photographs of vehicles that have been withdrawn from service under the austerity policy to the Cabinet Division. Each ministry will also submit a report to the Prime Minister’s Office on measures taken to effectively implement work-from-home arrangements.

He further said that the government is making every possible effort to keep the economy stable despite global challenges. A special committee, headed by Ishaq Dar, has been constituted to review the measures on a daily basis and present a report.

The prime minister also ordered a third-party audit of the austerity measures being implemented.

Meanwhile, due to the ongoing energy crisis in the region, the Sindh government has decided to allow work from home on Fridays in government institutions. Provincial ministers have also decided to forgo their salaries and benefits for three months.

Speaking at a press conference in Karachi, Senior Provincial Minister Sharjeel Memon said that provincial ministers would not draw salaries for April, May, and June. Schools will remain closed from March 16 to March 31; however, examinations will take place according to the scheduled timetable.

He clarified that Friday will not be an official holiday in government offices but will instead be observed as a work-from-home day. Ministers have surrendered police security vehicles, while the purchase of new vehicles and furniture has been banned. Refreshments in government offices will also remain suspended for two months.

Sharjeel Memon added that the government’s priority is to ensure fuel conservation. A meeting with transporters will be held tomorrow on this issue. He noted that the increase in petroleum prices has significantly affected the public, and action has been taken against transporters who arbitrarily raised fares, with some even being arrested.

Shehbaz Sharif further said the government is making every possible effort to keep the economy stable despite challenging global conditions. He said a special committee headed by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has been formed to oversee the implementation of austerity and energy conservation measures. The committee will review the progress on a daily basis and submit its report.

The Prime Minister also directed to conduct a third-party audit of the austerity measures to assess their impact and effectiveness. He instructed all federal ministries and divisions to fully enforce steps related to simplicity, austerity and energy conservation.

The Prime Minister further directed all ministries and institutions to send photographs of vehicles that have been withdrawn from use under the austerity policy to the Cabinet Division. He said each ministry will also submit a report to the Prime Minister's Office on measures taken to make the work-from-home system more effective.

The meeting was informed that all federal ministries and divisions will submit daily and weekly reports to the committee regarding steps taken for austerity, energy conservation and workforce management