Four-day workweek notification circulating online is fake

ISLAMABAD — The Ministry of Information has dismissed as fake a notification circulating on social media that claims the federal government has introduced a four-day working week.

The ministry’s fact-checking account said on Thursday that the document making rounds online does not represent any official government decision. It urged citizens to avoid believing or sharing the misleading information.

The ministry advised the public to verify government announcements through official channels before accepting or forwarding such notifications.

The document circulating online appeared to carry the Cabinet Division’s name and was dated September 16. It claimed that the government had revised its working schedule, with offices operating from Monday to Thursday. It listed Friday, Saturday and Sunday as weekly holidays.

The fake document emerged after Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said the government was reviewing earlier austerity measures because of rising fuel costs and disruptions in oil supplies.

Tarar had said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif directed officials to consult on measures that could be reintroduced. Some austerity steps, including restrictions on market timings, were still in place.

His remarks triggered speculation that the government could announce additional fuel-saving measures, including a possible smart lockdown.

However, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry later rejected those reports. He said a smart lockdown had neither been discussed nor was under consideration.

The government had introduced several austerity measures in March to reduce the economic impact of the US-Iran conflict. These included a 50 per cent reduction in fuel allowances for official vehicles, salary reductions for lawmakers and partial work-from-home arrangements for public-sector employees.

Most of those measures were withdrawn on June 19, while restrictions on market timings remained.

The government also shifted to a daily petroleum pricing mechanism in July amid volatile international oil markets and geopolitical tensions. Repeated increases have since pushed petrol and high-speed diesel prices significantly higher, adding pressure on household and government finances.