On the directives of National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq, the NA Secretariat on Wednesday introduced austerity measures in line with ongoing cost-cutting campaign due to the Middle East conflict.

Under the new measures, 70% of government vehicles will remain off duty, while members of the National Assembly will face a 25% reduction in salaries and allowances for the next two months. Overseas trips by parliamentary delegations have been completely suspended.

Senior officials, including those in Grade 20 or earning a monthly salary of Rs300,000 or more, will be required to contribute two days’ salary to the national treasury.

All non-essential procurement in the Secretariat has been halted, with purchases limited to indispensable daily requirements. National Assembly and committee meetings are now to be scheduled before sunset.

80 per cent of Secretariat staff will work virtually from home, and no additional allowances will be provided to home-based staff to enforce austerity. Standing committee meetings will be held online, and the National Assembly will operate on a four-day working week.

Read: Govt declares Friday holiday to save energy

The policy also limits committee meetings, reduces electricity usage by 70%, and mandates switching off non-essential lights and electrical equipment. Cafeteria utility bills are expected to see a 70% reduction.

To further cut traditional expenditure, the Secretariat will adopt paperless working practices. Officials say the measures aim to promote efficiency while ensuring responsible use of public funds.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday announced a four-day work week and work-from-home policy as part of wide-ranging austerity measures in light of the fuel crunch caused by the prevailing Middle East crisis following attacks by the United States and Israel on Iran.

The prime minister said that members of the cabinet, including ministers, advisers, and special assistants, would not draw salaries for two months while the salaries of members of parliament would be reduced by 25%.

“Expenditures of all government departments, apart from salaries, will be reduced by 20%,” he further said.

PM Shehbaz said that senior government officials in Grade 20 and above, earning more than Rs300,000 per month, would have two days’ salary deducted, which would be used to provide relief to the public.

The government sharply increased diesel and petrol prices by Rs55 per litre, or 20% on Friday — marking the first in a series of similar surges expected in the coming days due to the ongoing conflict.

The increase in petrol prices was more than the surge in international markets, as the government chose to collect more money than required from motorcyclists and car owners to subsidise the use of diesel, mostly by the public transport and agriculture sectors.