ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Sindh province has announced on Tuesday that schools across the province will remain closed from March 16 to 31, while government employees will work from home on Fridays.
The development comes a day after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced austerity measures by the federal government on Monday.
To conserve the fuel amid rising tensions in Middle East, the prime minister said all schools will be closed for two weeks, urging higher education institutions to shift classes online.
“Schools will have spring holidays from March 16 to 31, while colleges and universities will conduct online classes. No exams will be postponed,” Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon said during a media briefing after a Sindh cabinet meeting on Tuesday.
He added that government offices will continue regular operations from Monday to Thursday, with Fridays designated for remote work as part of the temporary arrangement.
The cabinet also approved the Student Attendance Monitoring and Redress System (SAMRS) policy, which will use a mobile app and digital dashboard to track student attendance and enrollment.
“In what I believe is a first for Pakistan, the cabinet has approved a policy to monitor student attendance and establish a redressal system,” Memon said.
He added the Sindh cabinet has also decided to slash fuel for government vehicles by half and the measure was expected to save Rs. 960 million.
The cabinet, he said, has decided to cut down unnecessary expenditures by 20 percent, such as furniture procurement or buying new vehicles, which is likely to save Rs12 billion [$42.9 million].
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