The Pakistan government headed by Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf (PTI) party at the second meeting of the federal cabinet revised working hours in government institutions, abolished discretionary funds of the prime minister, federal ministers and members of the National Assembly and imposed a ban on first-class air travel by the president, head of the government, chief justice, Senate chairman and NA speaker on Friday.
The cabinet also rejected the proposal for declaration of one official weekly holiday on Sunday and withdrawing the second weekly holiday on Saturday. Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan will also use the official aircraft only for domestic tours and not for foreign visits.
Pakistan Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry told news agency Dawn that only the president, prime minister, chief justice, Senate chairman, NA speaker and chief ministers had the facility to travel in the first class of international flights. However, it has been decided that now they will be travelling in business/club class.
Chaudhry said now the government’s funds would be released only after the approval of parliament so that taxpayers’ money could be utilised in a better way. He said that former prime minister Nawaz Sharif had spent Rs51 billion government funds only in one year by exercising his “discretionary powers”.
An audit of mega transport projects carried out in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa during the previous government’s reign was also decided. The meeting decided to abolish the Ministry of Capital Administration & Development Division (CADD) and merge said departments with other ministries. The cabinet also decided to form task forces to upgrade katchchi abadis (shanty settlements) and also launch tree plantation in main cities.
“We have learnt that billions of rupees corruption had been committed in these projects; therefore we want forensic audit of all metro projects and orange line project of Lahore,” he said.
Chaudhry also said that the proposal regarding office hours had suggested that they should be from 8am to 3pm. However, the cabinet decided that the working hours should be from 9am to 5pm. “Although earlier the office timings were 8am to 4pm, people used to come to their offices at 9am. Therefore, we have decided that the new working hours should be 9am to 5pm,” he added.
