ISLAMABAD: The federal government has decided not to restore the weekly holiday on Saturday for the employees of the federal government.

After approval of the Prime Minister (PM), the Establishment Division has issued a notification in this connection here on Friday, which was largely criticized by the government employees.

Hours after assuming office, PM Shehbaz Sharif had announced that Saturday will no longer be observed as a weekly day off, and government offices will remain open for six days a week.

However, in an apparent move to compensate the government employees, the government has reduced the office timings on working days.

Now the government offices will work from 8am to 3pm. On Fridays, the timings will be from 8am to 1pm; previously, the office timings for the government employees were from 9am to 5pm.

PM Shehbaz abolishes two-day weekend for government offices

Just days before Eidul Fitr, the Prime Minister had hinted of restoring the Saturday weekly holiday. The PM Office had received a summary about two weekly holidays forwarded by the Establishment Division then.

The Prime Minister had sought the Establishment Division’s opinion regarding the two weekly holidays.

The Establishment Division was of the view that two weekly government holidays would cut electricity and petrol expenditures.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022