Govt decides against restoring weekly holiday of Saturday

The federal government has decided not to restore the weekly holiday of Saturday in government offices, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

After prime minister’s approval, the Establishment Division issued a notification in this regard on Friday.

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 8:00 am to 3:00 pm. On Fridays, the timings will be from 8:00 am to 1:00 pm.

Earlier, the offices were observing time from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.

Before Eid, the federal government of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had hinted at 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 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.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had abolished the weekly holiday of Saturday soon after assuming the office.

Reporter Babar Shahzad Turk