The federal government has decided that Fridays will be observed as an additional holiday every week as part of austerity measures enacted amid the US-Israeli war on Iran, state broadcaster PTV reports.

This development comes a day after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced that public sector workplaces would have four-day work weeks, to save fuel amid skyrocketing prices.

PTV reports that this decision was taken during a meeting to review the implementation of austerity measures, which was attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb and other senior officials.

“[The] government is making every possible effort to keep the economy stable despite global conditions,” PM Shehbaz has been quoted as saying.

He has added that a committee has been formed to review austerity and energy conservation measures on a daily basis and produce reports. This committee will be chaired by Dar.

Meanwhile, the premier has instructed all federal ministries to implement austerity measures and send images of official vehicles that have been barred from use to the Cabinet Division. Additionally, all federal ministries and divisions have to send weekly reports on the implementation of austerity measures to the committee.