The federal government has decided that funds saved through ongoing austerity measures will be used to provide relief to the public. The decision was taken in a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to review the impact of regional developments on petroleum prices and assess the implementation of government austerity measures amid ongoing tensions in the Middle East.
During the meeting, officials discussed steps to stabilize petroleum product prices and the progress of government savings initiatives. The government approved salary reductions ranging from 5 to 30 percent for employees of state-owned and autonomous institutions, similar to cuts already applied to federal staff, with the savings earmarked for public relief.