Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif chaired a meeting in Islamabad to review the implementation of government policies related to austerity and energy conservation in light of the current regional situation.

During the meeting, the government decided to introduce an additional weekly holiday on Friday as part of efforts to reduce energy consumption and manage public sector resources more efficiently.

The prime minister said the government is taking all possible steps to maintain economic stability despite global challenges. To ensure effective implementation of the announced measures, a special monitoring committee has been formed under Ishaq Dar, which will review progress on a daily basis and submit reports to the government.

Sharif also directed that a third-party audit be conducted to evaluate the impact of the austerity measures.

He instructed all federal ministries and divisions to strictly follow the government’s austerity and energy-saving policies. Ministries have also been asked to submit photographic evidence of government vehicles that have been parked under the austerity plan to the Cabinet Division.

In addition, each ministry will send a report to the Prime Minister’s Office on the implementation and effectiveness of work-from-home arrangements.

Officials briefing the meeting said that federal ministries and departments will provide daily and weekly reports to the committee regarding progress on austerity measures, energy conservation, and workforce management.

The meeting was attended by senior cabinet members, including Musaddiq Malik, Muhammad Aurangzeb, Ahad Khan Cheema, Attaullah Tarar, Bilal Azhar Kayani, along with other senior officials.