ISLAMABAD: The inaugural sessions of the three newly elected provincial assemblies were convened on Monday in which members-elect of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Sindh, and Balochistan assemblies took the oath.
The Punjab Assembly session is slated for Aug. 15.
Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani administered the oath to the newly elected members of Sindh Assembly in Karachi.
The Pakistan People’s Party, a majority party in Sindh, has nominated Durrani as the speaker of the newly elected provincial assembly for a second term.
A senior lawmaker, Sardar Aurangzeb, administered the oath to newly elected members of KP Assembly.
Pakistan Threek-e-Insaf (PTI), being the majority party in KP, is all set to form the government in the province.
In Pakistan’s Southwestern province of Balochistan, Raheela Durrani administered the oath to the newly elected members.
Balochistan Awami Party and PTI will form a coalition government in Balochistan.
The elections for the slots of new speakers and deputy speakers of the provincial assemblies will be held on Wednesday.
KP, Sindh, Balochistan legislatures administer oath to new members
KP, Sindh, Balochistan legislatures administer oath to new members
- Members-elect of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Sindh, and Balochistan assemblies took the oath in the inaugural sessions of the provincial legislatures
- Inaugural session of Punjab assembly will be held on Aug. 15
Pakistan reviews austerity measures amid Middle East crisis, urges strict nationwide implementation
- Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar chairs review meeting of austerity steps
- Officials briefed on salary cuts, school closures, four‑day week, petrol conservation
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s government on Wednesday assessed progress on a sweeping set of austerity measures introduced to mitigate the country’s economic strain from sharply rising global oil prices and supply disruptions linked to the ongoing war in the Middle East.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif this week announced a series of austerity steps, including a four‑day work week for government offices, requiring 50 percent of staff to work from home, cutting fuel allowances for official vehicles by half, grounding up to 60 percent of the government fleet and closing all schools for two weeks to conserve fuel amid the global oil crisis.
The measures were unveiled in response to global oil market volatility triggered by the conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran, which has disrupted supply routes such as the Strait of Hormuz and pushed crude prices sharply higher, straining Pakistan’s heavily import‑dependent energy sector.
“The meeting stressed the importance of strict and transparent adherence to the austerity measures, promoting fiscal responsibility and prudent use of public resources,” Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar said in a statement.
He was chairing a meeting of the Committee for Monitoring and Implementation of Conservation and Additional Austerity Measures, constituted under the directions of the PM, bringing together federal and provincial officials to review execution of the broad cost‑cutting plan.
Dar emphasized the government’s commitment to enforcing the PM’s austerity steps nationwide. The committee’s review also covered reductions in departmental expenditure, deductions from salaries of senior officials earning over Rs. 300,000 ($1,120), and coordination with provincial administrations to ensure uniform implementation of the plan.
Participants at the meeting reiterated that all ministries and divisions must continue strict monitoring and reporting, with transparent oversight mechanisms, as Pakistan navigates the economic pressures from the prolonged Middle East crisis and its fallout on global energy and trade markets.
