The federal cabinet has approved the restoration of weekly off on Saturdays in government offices with the decision on closing of markets at 7:00pm to conserve energy still to be made.
The contingency plan has been adopted after the power division presented the offer for purpose of energy conservation to tackle electricity shortage hence reducing load-shedding throughout the country.
Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb, after a crucial cabinet meeting, said that there were suggestions of allowing work-from-home on Fridays and early closure of markets. She said that a cabinet sub-committee has been formed which would now deliberate over the early closure of markets.
Aurangzeb said that the duration of load-shedding would be reduced to three-and-a-half hours by June 15, and would further decrease to two hours by June 30.
The information minister further said that a 40 percent cut in the fuel quota of ministers and government employees was also approved.
She said that currently, there was a difference in the supply and demand of electricity, the demand being 28,400 MW, while the available supply being 25,600 MW.
Earlier, in a statement on Twitter, Khawaja Asif had said that there should be a holiday on Saturday and Sunday and a half-day on Friday, and that office timings could be increased by an hour on working days.
