The red carpet will now be reserved exclusively for diplomatic receptions, the notice said.
Islamabad:
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has directed authorities to ban the use of red carpets at official events, ARY News reported.
The Prime Minister expressed dissatisfaction with the practice of laying red carpet during the visits of Union ministers and senior officials and made his stance clear.
The cabinet department said the red carpet ban was implemented on the instructions of the prime minister, ARY News reported.
The red carpet will now be reserved exclusively for diplomatic receptions, the notice said.
In the latest development, Prime Minister Sherbaz Sharif and members of the federal cabinet collectively decided to waive salaries and benefits as part of the government’s austerity drive.
Last month, Prime Minister Shehbaz stressed the critical importance of austerity measures to the government.
Earlier, Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari refused to accept his salary and benefits citing the economic challenges faced by the country, ARY News reported.
According to “Dawn” report, Human Rights Watch (HRW) stated that Pakistan will face one of the most serious economic crises in history in 2023, with poverty, inflation and unemployment soaring, endangering the rights to health and food of millions of people. and adequate living standards.
In its 740-page World Report 2024 released on Friday, Human Rights Watch reviewed the human rights practices of more than 100 countries and noted that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) insisted on austerity and the removal of subsidies without adequately taking this into account. Compensation measures impose additional hardships on low-income groups in Pakistan.
The report said Pakistan remains extremely vulnerable to the effects of climate change, with warming rates well above the global average, making extreme climate events more frequent and severe.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
