Shehbaz Sharif chaired a high-level meeting at the Prime Minister’s Office to review the implementation of austerity and energy conservation measures amid the evolving regional situation.
During the meeting, the prime minister announced an additional weekly holiday on Friday as part of broader efforts to conserve energy. He said the government is taking all possible steps to maintain economic stability despite global uncertainties.
A special committee has been formed under the leadership of Ishaq Dar to oversee the implementation of austerity and energy conservation measures. The committee will review progress daily and submit regular reports to the government.
The prime minister also directed that a third-party audit be conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of these measures.
All federal ministries and divisions have been instructed to implement austerity measures, including strict energy conservation initiatives. Ministries have also been asked to submit photographic evidence of government vehicles parked in accordance with austerity guidelines to the Cabinet Division.
In addition, departments must provide reports on the implementation of work-from-home policies as part of the government’s broader plan to reduce fuel consumption and operational costs.
Officials said that daily and weekly progress reports related to austerity, energy conservation, and workforce management will be submitted to the special committee for monitoring.
The meeting was attended by several senior cabinet members, including Mosaddiq Malik, Muhammad Aurangzeb, Ahad Khan Cheema, Attaullah Tarar, Bilal Azhar Kayani, and other senior government officials.
