Pakistan orders sweeping austerity measures as Iran war triggers oil crisis
Al Jazeera
Four-day workweek for government employees and two-week closure of schools among the measures aimed at saving energy.
Islamabad, Pakistan – Pakistan has ordered sweeping emergency austerity and fuel conservation measures after a disruption in oil and gas supply caused by the United States-Israel war on Iran and an escalating Middle East conflict.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced the measures in a televised address to the nation on Monday night, warning that disruptions to maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz – a vital waterway for traded oil – had placed Pakistan’s economy under direct threat.
“The entire region is currently in a state of war,” Sharif said as he laid out a series of steps, including moving to a four-day workweek for government employees and spring holidays for schools from March 16 to the end of the month.
Sharif said 50 percent of government staff will work from home on a rotating basis and recommended similar arrangements for the private sector, giving key sectors such as banking an exemption.
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