Federal Government Decides to Impose Smart Lockdown Amid Rising Petroleum Prices

Islamabad (Qudrat Daily) — To address rising petroleum product prices and reduce fuel consumption, the federal government has decided to impose a smart lockdown, aimed at limiting movement to bring about a reduction in the use of petroleum products. According to sources, a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reviewed several proposals related to the smart lockdown.

The meeting also considered a proposal for government and private offices to work only four days a week, with Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays proposed as holidays. A formula to call government employees to offices on a rotation basis is also under consideration, under which employees of different departments would work according to a fixed schedule so that office attendance and the need for daily travel could be reduced.

The meeting also put forward a proposal to ground approximately 50 percent of government vehicles in order to reduce the use of official vehicles. The government aims to achieve fuel savings as well as a reduction in government expenditures. According to sources, a final decision regarding the smart lockdown is expected this evening, after which the outlines of the new policy and the procedure for its implementation may be announced.