People of all walks of life including transporters, general public, farmers, Government employees, laborers and civil society in Khyber Pakthunkhwa on Tuesday widely hailed the 14-points austerity measures announced by Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif. They termed it a right move to counter challenges emerged after an ongoing conflict in Gulf region.

President Pakistan Mulim League-Nawaz  (PML-N) Nowshera, Sahibzda Hamaza, told APP that the Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif announced a wide-ranging 14-point austerity and saving plan under which schools would remain shut for two days and all Government departments to reduce expenditures by 20 percent. Alike, 50 percent staff in public and private sectors would work from home and imposition of ban on foreign visits by federal and provincial ministers, advisers, special assistants and Government officials were positive steps in the right direction, he said. 

Misal Khan, a retired Information Officer also hailed the Prime Minister’s wide ranging austerity measures and petrol saving plan, saying that in the wake of security escalations in the Middle East, the Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has taken positive measures to provide relief to the general public. He said the entire Gulf region has been gripped by the Iran-Israel-US conflict that resulted in unprecedented increase in prices of petroleum in the regional countries including Pakistan. 

He said the Prime Minister has announced that cabinet members, advisers and special assistants would not draw salaries for the two months besides a 25 percent salary cut in salaries of members of the parliament. Four day work week in offices and two holidays in schools for two weeks would help offset the impact of the Middle East war on Pakistan besides tackling severe economic challenges. 

Taxi driver, Anwar Khan, labourer, Muhammad Irshad, farmer Umar Khan, former PST teacher Riazul Haq and civil society have praised the PM’s austerity measures and petroleum saving plans and termed it an important measures to provide maximum relief to poor and underprivileged in the wake of conflict in Middle East. They said despite petroleum crisis in the regional countries, our government announced minimum increase in prices of petroleum and announced strict action against hoarding and black marketing. 

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)