Shehbaz Sharif removes two weekly holidays for govt employees
Key Takeaways:
- Shehbaz Sharif, Pakistan's newly-elected Prime Minister, has abolished two weekly offs in government offices and rearranged their hours to help its cash-strapped economy.
- According to political insiders, Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari is set to be named foreign minister.
On his first day in office, Pakistan's newly-elected Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif removed two weekly offs in govt offices and adjust their times to revitalize the cash-strapped country's economy.
Sharif, who was sworn in as Pakistan's 23rd prime minister on Monday, arrived at his office at 800 a.m., well ahead of the employees, who arrived at 1000 a.m., the previous Imran Khan government's official opening time.
The Prime Minister's office hours were modified from 10 a.m. to 8 a.m. He also announced that the government offices would only be closed on Sundays.
"We've come to serve the people, and no time will be wasted," he remarked as he spoke with his team. "Our guiding principles are honesty, transparency, diligence, and hard work," according to state-run Radio Pakistan.
He directed that the announcements on a rise in the pension and a minimum wage of $25,000 be implemented immediately.
Sharif also convened an emergency conference of economic specialists to discuss the country's dire economic situation and take steps to rectify the situation based on the advice of the experts.
Meanwhile, the Cabinet is being finalized through dialogue. According to political sources, Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari is expected to be named foreign minister.
The Pakistan Muslim League-Rana Nawaz's Sanullah and Marriyum Aurangzeb are expected to be given the interior and information ministries.
According to insiders, the initial members of the Cabinet are anticipated to be finalized by the evening.
Sharif, Pakistan's new prime minister after Imran Khan's abrupt removal, is a hard-core realist who has developed a reputation as a matter-of-fact guy as well as a good administrator over the years.
The 70-year-old younger brother of former 3 time Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has three times served as Chief Minister of Punjab, Pakistan's most populous and strategically important state.