ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly Secretariat has introduced new austerity measures to reduce fuel and operational costs.

Under the new plan, 50% of Secretariat staff will work from home on a rotational basis.

The measures were approved by National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq. They will take effect immediately and remain active until further orders.

According to the notification, half of the employees will continue working from their offices. The remaining staff will work remotely according to approved duty rosters.

The relevant wings will prepare the rotational schedules for their employees. These schedules will require approval from the competent authority.

Employees who work from home must remain available through official communication channels. These include telephone, email, WhatsApp and other communication platforms.

Employees may also be asked to return to their offices when required. They must report within one hour if instructed by their reporting officers.

The notification also outlined financial restrictions for remote employees. Staff working remotely will not receive diet allowance or overtime charges.

Employees have also been instructed not to leave their stations without prior approval.

Fuel and Transport Measures

The National Assembly Secretariat has also introduced measures to reduce fuel consumption.

Fuel allocations for official vehicles will be reduced by 50%. The reduction will remain in place for three months.

The Secretariat has also prohibited the purchase of new vehicles. The ban covers vehicles of all types.

A 5% cut has also been approved for the Non-Employee Related Expenditure budget.

The reduction will apply throughout the financial year 2026-27. It will be implemented on a monthly basis.

Virtual Meetings Encouraged

The notification also promotes virtual meetings as part of the cost-cutting plan.

Meetings should preferably take place through teleconferencing. Intra-city meetings are excluded from this preference.

Standing Committee meetings will also be encouraged to take place virtually. The move is aimed at reducing travel and fuel expenses.

The Secretariat has directed that meetings should be limited to essential requirements. This arrangement will continue until conditions return to normal.

Restrictions on Travel and Official Events

The Secretariat has banned foreign visits and official travel for three months. The restriction also covers obligatory visits.

Some exceptions have been included in the notification. These include international development partner scholarships and approved training programmes.

Courses arranged through the Economic Affairs Division are also exempted. Institutional programmes under agreements with the Pakistani government are included.

Official dinners have also been prohibited under the new measures. Exceptions will apply to dinners hosted for foreign delegations.

Government-funded seminars, conferences and training sessions have also been banned. Unavoidable events should use existing government facilities.

Auditoriums and committee rooms should be used instead of external venues.

The Secretariat will also move toward a paperless working environment. The measure aims to reduce spending on traditional office operations.

The austerity plan was introduced amid the prevailing global and regional situation. The measures will remain effective until further orders.

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The decision means more employees will work from home while the Secretariat continues its cost-saving efforts.