Work-from-home policy extended for two months to save fuel

2026-03-18 - 06:11

PESHAWAR – The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has extended the 100 percent work-from-home policy on Fridays for next two months as part of its ongoing austerity measures amid fuel supply concerns due to the US-Israel war against Iran. Reports said the provincial government has issued a notification stating that that all government employees will work from home on Fridays for the next two months. Previously, the government had allowed partial work-from-home arrangements in various departments. In addition to the work-from-home directive, the provincial government has declared a short spring break for schools. Public and private educational institutions, excluding universities and those conducting board examinations, will observe the break beginning March 24. The practical effect may be minimal, as Fridays through Sundays are already routine holidays. These measures are part of a wider initiative known as the Fuel Conservation and Responsible Governance Initiative, which was approved by the KP cabinet on March 9 to address fuel shortages and promote efficient resource use across the province. Furthermore, the KP Finance Department has issued directives to reduce non-salary expenditure by 20 percent for the April–June period, citing mounting fiscal pressures and rising global oil prices. The department also imposed a ban on the procurement of new durable goods by all administrative departments until June 30, 2026 under the austerity drive. In a separate fuel conservation measure, the provincial government announced that 60% of official vehicles across government departments will be grounded from use for the next two months. This step comes in addition to previously implemented reductions in monthly fuel allocations, reflecting the administration’s efforts to curb consumption amid ongoing supply challenges.