The Government of Pakistan has declared a circular circulating on social media regarding changes to official working days to be fake and baseless. The notification, which claimed that the government had introduced changes to the official working schedule, has been rejected by the authorities.
Officials clarified that the viral information is misleading and urged the public not to believe or share such unverified notifications. Authorities advised citizens to rely solely on authentic sources and official government channels to verify notifications and announcements concerning government affairs and policies.
The public was also warned against spreading unverified information to help curb the spread of fake news and misleading reports in society. On the other hand, the federal government is reviewing previously introduced austerity measures amid rising fuel prices and concerns over disruptions to oil supplies, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar has said.
Speaking at a press briefing, Tarar said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had directed consultations to determine which earlier measures could be revived. He noted that some measures, including restrictions on market timings, remained in force.
The minister’s remarks prompted reports that the government might introduce additional fuel conservation measures, including a smart lockdown. However, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry rejected the reports on Tuesday, clarifying that a smart lockdown had neither been discussed nor was under consideration.
The government had announced a package of austerity measures on March 9 to mitigate the economic impact of the regional conflict and rising fuel prices. The measures included a 50 per cent reduction in fuel allowances for official vehicles, salary cuts for lawmakers and a partial work-from-home policy in the public sector.