The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has enforced strict austerity measures, prohibiting the purchase of new vehicles and curtailing expenditures on workshops, seminars, and overseas medical treatments at government expense. This decision, part of an austerity policy guideline, has been communicated to all departments and institutions by the finance department. Exceptions to the vehicle ban include ambulances, fire trucks, tractors, buses, and essential machinery. Furthermore, participation in workshops, seminars, and foreign training funded by the government is restricted, with medical treatments abroad subject to stringent scrutiny. The provincial cabinet has approved these financial discipline guidelines, allowing Chief Minister Mahmood Khan discretionary authority to approve vacancies on a case-by-case basis. Project employees' contract extensions will be managed in consultation with the finance department, and no new appointments will be made without prior financial department approval. This initiative aims to streamline expenditures and ensure fiscal responsibility across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's government operations.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan