ISLAMABAD: The federal government has dismissed rumours about a proposed lockdown and declared a notification making the rounds on Social Media as fake and misleading.
According to the federal government statement, there is no proposed plan to impose a smart lockdown in the country for austerity measures, and the notification that has gone viral on Social Media is fake and an attempt to mislead the public.
On the special directives of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the government is implementing alternative measures to conserve fuel and safeguard the country from fuel shortages.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif chaired a review meeting on Sunday to assess the implementation of fuel-saving measures and austerity initiatives in response to the current regional situation. The meeting focused on the government’s actions to ensure a sufficient petroleum supply while minimising costs and providing relief to the public.
During the session, the Prime Minister affirmed that, due to government decisions, the country has adequate petroleum reserves to meet domestic demands. He emphasised that providing relief to the public has been the government’s top priority, especially amid rising global energy costs.
In the past three weeks, we have prioritised public relief to the best of our ability, stated PM Shehbaz, highlighting the government’s financial interventions to prevent a spike in fuel prices.
He noted that the federal government allocated a significant amount of 125 billion rupees through savings and budget cuts in development funds to shield the public from the direct effects of global tensions on fuel prices.
The Prime Minister urged the public to actively participate in the ongoing energy-saving campaign by avoiding unnecessary travel and opting for teleconferencing instead of commuting to work.
He also called on provincial governments to facilitate the registration of motorcycles and rickshaws in the owners’ names to digitise vehicle data. This initiative is expected to help owners benefit from future government relief programs.
