Pakistan Parliament introduces austerity measures and remote work

The National Assembly and Senate of Pakistan have implemented a series of austerity measures to reduce government expenditure and fuel consumption.

Under the new National Assembly guidelines, 50% of staff will work from home, while the remaining 50% will work from the office. Remote employees must remain reachable via telephone, email, and WhatsApp, and are required to report to the office within one hour if summoned. The National Assembly has also banned the purchase of all vehicles and will reduce fuel allocations for official vehicles by 50% for three months. Additionally, the non-salary budget for the 2026-27 fiscal year will face a 5% monthly reduction.

The Senate has introduced similar restrictions, including a 50% reduction in fuel allocations for official vehicles for three months and a total ban on vehicle purchases. Senate employees will work from home on Fridays when no sessions are scheduled, maintaining availability via digital communication and remaining ready to report to the office on one hour's notice. Senate office hours from Monday to Thursday have been set from 9am to 4pm.

Other Senate measures include a 5% monthly cut to the non-salary budget, a ban on the purchase of most items (excluding IT equipment), a suspension of all foreign visits for three months, and a ban on official dinners, except those held for foreign delegations. Both houses aim to minimize the number of meetings held.