Broke Pakistan In Lockdown: Shehbaz Bans Cars, Tells Ministers To Fly Economy And Citizens To Serve One Dish At Weddings

Islamabad: The sheer hypocrisy of cash-strapped Pakistan has been exposed again globally, and this time the world is actually watching. A country that cannot put bread on the table for its own citizens, that survives on IMF bailouts and begs for money in every capital, has been parading around signing grand MoUs to save other countries, with the much-hyped Mecca pact with Saudi Arabia being paraded as the diplomatic crown jewel.

And while Pakistan pretends to be a guardian of global stability, back home it has pushed its own people to the verge of a complete lockdown. In a bizarre fresh austerity package, the Shehbaz Sharif government has banned government vehicle purchases, slashed fuel allocations by 50% and started policing wedding menus, proving that a country that promises to save Saudi Arabia cannot even save itself.

Notably, last month in Mecca, Shehbaz Sharif signed a Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement with Saudi Arabia and Turkey, vowing that any attack on one nation would be considered an attack on both. It was sold to Pakistanis as proof that Islamabad is now a net security provider for the Muslim world, a laughable claim from a state whose own economy is on ventilator support.

However, the ink on the Mecca pact had barely dried when Houthi rebels repeatedly attacked Saudi sovereign territory, and Islamabad did not even have the courtesy to condemn it loudly. The deafening silence from Rawalpindi and Islamabad has exposed the self-centred, transactional motive behind the pact, which foreign experts allege is aimed at milking Saudi money and oil while offering nothing in return when Riyadh actually comes under fire. 

Now, amid the intensifying Middle East conflict, the beggar bowl is out again and the lights are going off early in Pakistan. In a desperate bid to save every last drop of fuel and every penny, the government has rolled out a package that reads more like a national lockdown notice than an economic policy. Facing an empty treasury and an economy that survives only on foreign bailouts and begging missions, Islamabad has banned the purchase of government vehicles, halved fuel for official cars, and started dictating how many dishes citizens can serve at weddings. The humiliating measures, imposed amid renewed tensions in the Middle East and disruption in the Red Sea, have exposed Pakistan's fragile, fuel-starved limits.

Fuel-Starved Govt Panics, Shops Ordered Shut By 9 PM

The Pakistani government rolled out the austerity package as it seeks to conserve fuel and rein in non-essential spending amid renewed tensions in the Middle East and the disruption in the Red Sea. The measures include a complete ban on the purchase of government vehicles, a 50% reduction in fuel allocations for official vehicles and a single-dish rule for marriage functions.

Pakistan had unveiled similar panic measures back in March after the outbreak of the US-Iran war. The set of measures saw Islamabad shut schools for 2 weeks and cut fuel use by the government officials, and pushed office workers to work from home in a bid to conserve fuel and cut government spending.

The Cabinet Division issued the notification on Thursday with the measures coming into immediate effect. Some of the restrictions, including the fuel cuts and a foreign travel ban on the officials, will remain in force for at least 3 months. According to Samaa TV, Pakistan has imposed 3-month curbs on overseas travel by federal government employees, with only certain exemptions. Additionally, in case foreign travel is unavoidable, the ministers, advisers and officials will have to fly economy class.

According to the Karachi-based newspaper Dawn, among the measures affecting the public, the government has directed that only one dish be served at all marriage-related functions and events. The new orders are a new low for a nuclear-armed state that talks of defending the holy land but cannot afford mutton for its own weddings.

Markets, Malls And Restaurants Face Curfew

The notification sets earlier closing times for several commercial establishments, including shops, markets, shopping malls, bazaars, departmental and grocery stores, which will have to close by 9 pm. Wedding halls, marquees and other commercial venues hosting festive events will have to close by 10 pm, while restaurants, cafes, eateries and food outlets will be required to close by 11 pm. However, takeaway and home-delivery services have been exempted from the latter restriction.

Several essential services will remain outside the time restrictions, including pharmacies, hospitals, clinics, medical laboratories, fuel and CNG stations, electric-vehicle charging stations, gyms, sports facilities, IT companies and call centres, Dawn reported.

Karachi-based The Express Tribune reported that the restriction forms part of an austerity package looking to reduce the government expenditure. The notification also prohibits procurement of durable goods, with an exception for information technology-related purchases. According to the notification issued by Islamabad, both restrictions do not apply to development projects.

The government has simultaneously ordered a 50% reduction in fuel allocations for official vehicles for three months. However, operational vehicles belonging to the armed forces, civil armed forces, law enforcement agencies, essential services and the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) have been exempted. The fuel restriction will apply to the administrative and non-operational formations of these organisations.

5% Spending Cut, Economy Class Flights And No More Official Dinners

According to the Cabinet Division notification reported by The Express Tribune, there will be a 5% monthly reduction in non-employee-related expenditure during the current financial year. The measure also applies to Pakistan's foreign missions and officials posted abroad. However, expenses related to rent, educational fees and medical care will continue to be met, according to Dawn. The development projects have again been excluded from the spending reduction.

In perhaps the most embarrassing admission of Pakistan's empty coffers, the government has announced a complete ban on foreign visits and travel for 3 months, including obligatory visits. According to The Express Tribune, the notification stated: "The notification also imposed a complete ban on foreign visits and travel for three months, including obligatory visits. In cases where foreign representation is considered compulsory or important, Pakistan's ambassador or high commissioner concerned was notified to represent the country."

There are exceptions for scholarships offered by international development partners and training or courses arranged through the Economic Affairs Division (EAD) or under institutional agreements with the government. In cases where foreign travel is unavoidable, government representatives and executives have been directed to travel in economy class. The restrictions apply to ministers, advisers, ministers of state, special assistants to the prime minister, parliamentarians and government officials, The Express Tribune reported.

Not only this, the austerity measures extend to official events and meetings, as the government departments have been directed to preferably organise teleconferences, except for intra-city meetings. The official seminars, training sessions and conferences funded by the government have also been prohibited. In case such events are unavoidable, departments have been told to use government-owned facilities such as auditoriums and committee rooms rather than spending on outside venues. The Cabinet has also prohibited official dinners, with an exception for events involving foreign delegations.

Dawn reported that the latest package comes after Pakistan's Information Minister Attaullah Tarar had said on September 14 that the government was considering their revival amid renewed hostilities in the Middle East. Pakistan had previously introduced austerity measures in March as the Middle East conflict triggered concerns over energy supplies and rising oil prices. Some of those measures were later withdrawn, although restrictions on market timings remained in place. 

The latest notification expands Islamabad's fuel-conservation push from official vehicles and government spending to business hours, foreign travel and even wedding-related spending, as a broke Islamabad attempts to reduce fuel consumption while still pretending to be the saviour of Saudi Arabia and Turkey under the hollow Mecca pact.