Sindh minister says govt contemplating smart lockdown as fuel conservation measure

Sindh Local Government Minister Nasir Hussain Shah said on Tuesday that the government was contemplating a smart lockdown as a fuel conservation measure following the global oil crisis triggered by the US-Israel war on Iran.

“The chief minister who heads the committee on austerity measures has conducted multiple in-person and online meetings on a daily basis,” he said, while speaking to the media in Rohri.

He said the provincial government had reduced the fuel consumption allowance for official vehicles by “60 per cent”.

He also called on the media to raise awareness, saying that if the war on Iran continued for a prolonged period, it would have “terrifying” effects on everyone, including Pakistan.

He said that the energy sector would be the first “to be hit”, saying that the prices of commodities were directly linked to fuel prices. He called on the citizens to limit their movement, saying, “We have to save petrol, oil and gas.”

He said that it would be better in the long run if citizens reduced the unnecessary use of such commodities.

Amid the federal government’s austerity drive, earlier this month the Sindh government had announced that schools across the province would go on spring vacation from March 16 to 31, colleges and universities would switch to online classes and government offices would work from home on Fridays.

As part of its “austerity” drive in the wake of the Middle East war, the Sindh government also limited the number of guests at wedding ceremonies or any other party to 200 with one-dish serving.

Last week, before the Eidul Fitr holidays, the government had also urged the public to adopt fuel-conservation measures to reduce consumption.