Friday to be observed as an additional weekly holiday

ISLAMABAD, March 10 (APP): A meeting with Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif in the chair, Tuesday, decided that Friday would be observed as an additional weekly holiday considering the government’s austerity and energy conservation measures in the wake of current regional situation.

The prime minister while addressing the meeting to review implementation of different decisions, said the government was making every possible effort to keep the economy stable despite global circumstances.

He said that a special committee headed by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar had been constituted to review the government’s announced measures regarding austerity and energy conservation on a daily basis and submit its reports.

He also directed that a third-party audit must be conducted of these austerity measures so that their impact could be evaluated and asked all federal ministries and divisions to fully implement measures related to simplicity, austerity and energy conservation.

The meeting was attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Minister for Climate Change Musadik Malik, Minister for Finance and Revenue Muhammad Aurangzeb, Minister for Economic Affairs Ahad Khan Cheema, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar, Minister of State for Finance and Railways Bilal Azhar Kayani and other senior government officials, PM Office Media Wing said in a press release.

The prime minister further directed that all ministries and institutions must send pictures to the Cabinet Division of those vehicles taken out of operation under the austerity measures.

He said that each ministry would submit a report to the Prime Minister’s Office by making the work-from-home arrangements more effective.

The meeting was informed that all the federal ministries and divisions would submit daily and weekly reports to the committee regarding austerity and energy-saving measures as well as workforce management.