Pakistan has issued a notification implementing measures to conserve fuel and reduce energy consumption. These measures will be applicable to all federal institutions, ministries, divisions, departments, and organizations. According to the notification, the measures will also be applicable to autonomous institutions, state-owned institutions, legislative bodies, defense institutions, and the judiciary. The provincial governments will also adopt these measures to ensure national efforts.
The notification states that the fuel supply for government vehicles will be reduced by 50% for two months, and 60% of government vehicles will be banned from use. The prime minister, ministers, advisors, and special assistants will not receive salaries for two months. 60% of government department vehicles will also be taken off the road.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif stated that the salaries of federal and provincial parliamentarians will be reduced by 25% for two months. Officers with salaries over three lakh will have their two-day salaries cut. A complete ban on buying new vehicles will be in effect until June 2026. Foreign trips by government officials, parliamentarians, and government officers will also be banned.
The notification states that official dinners will only be held for foreign visits, and all government seminars, training sessions, and conferences will be subject to prior approval from a designated committee. Work-from-home arrangements will be made for 50% of staff, except for essential services. A four-day workweek will be implemented, but this will not apply to the banking sector and essential services. Private sector institutions have also been directed to adopt these measures.
The notification also states that over-time allowances will be paid in accordance with labor laws for employees who work during regular holidays. Schools will close from March 16 to March 31, but exams will continue as scheduled. All higher education institutions, including colleges and universities, will conduct online classes.
Speed limits on roads have been reduced, and motorways will have a speed limit of 90-100 km/h. Highway speed limits have been reduced to 65-80 km/h. The notification states that weddings and parties can only have 200 guests, and only a single dish will be served.
Immediate implementation of conservation and fuel-saving measures is expected. The judiciary has decided to enforce conservation and energy-saving measures across the country. In a separate development, a four-year-old girl was kidnapped and murdered in Faisalabad, and the police have arrested the suspect. The Lahore High Court has rejected a request to suspend the chairman of the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) from work. Despite the tense situation in the Middle East, flights have started to improve. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has written a letter to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. PTI Chairman Imran Khan has been shifted to Shifa International Hospital for treatment. The Pakistan Petroleum Corporation has received four ships carrying petroleum products at the Port Qasim, which is a major hub for the region. The region is heading towards a crisis, but the parliament is not doing anything, said Senator Maulana Mahmood Khan Achakzai.
