Islamabad: Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has announced a fourteen-point austerity plan aimed at addressing economic challenges exacerbated by regional conflict. The measures, unveiled during a televised address following a meeting on austerity, include significant reductions in government spending, changes to work and education schedules, and a focus on remote communication.

According to Radio Pakistan, the Prime Minister’s plan mandates that fifty percent of employees in both public and private sectors work from home, with the exception of essential services. The workweek will be reduced to four days for most sectors, excluding banks, industries, and agriculture. Furthermore, iftaar parties and dinners are banned, with a preference for online and video link meetings.

Schools are set to close for two weeks beginning at the end of this week, while higher education institutions will transition to online classes. Public sector fuel quotas will be halved for two months, excluding ambulances and public-use buses. Additionally, sixty percent of government office transport will be suspended for the same period.

The plan also includes a twenty percent cut in government spending, excluding salaries, and a prohibition on the procurement of vehicles, air conditioners, and other items. Cabinet members will forgo their salaries for two months, and there will be a twenty-five percent salary deduction for Members of Parliament. Officers above grade 20 will see a two-day salary deduction to fund relief for the public.

Unnecessary foreign travel by federal cabinet members, provincial chief ministers, and governors is banned unless deemed essential for national interest. Seminars and conferences will take place in government buildings rather than hotels.

Prime Minister Sharif also issued a warning to hoarders and other groups against exploiting the economic situation, emphasizing the government’s efforts to shield the public from additional burdens. He cited regional conflicts as factors impacting economic stability and called for renewed national unity and responsibility. The Prime Minister also highlighted Pakistan’s reaffirmed solidarity with neighboring countries amidst shifting global alliances and challenges.