Pak enforces red carpet ban at official events to cut expenses amid economic crisis

In a major move to trim down government expenses, Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharifhas implemented a ban on the use of red carpets at government events, reserving them exclusively for diplomatic receptions, as reported by ANI.

This measure ispart of abroader initiativeto reducefinancial strain in the economically crippledcountry.

Prime Minister Sharif expressed his discontent over the widespread use of red carpets during visits by federal ministers and senior officials at government functions.

As a result, the Cabinet Division has announced a directive in accordance with the Prime Minister's wishes, strictly banningthe rolling outof red carpets at official events.

As per the notification issued by the Cabinet Division, the Prime Minister has explicitly instructed that red carpets shall no longer adorn the paths of federal ministers and government dignitaries during official gatherings.

However, they will remain permissible solely for diplomatic purposes.

Beyond its symbolic connotations, the decision to ban red carpets is Pakistan'seffort to cut down unnecessary expenditures and redirect financial resources towards urgent areas of governance.

Decision to forego salaries, perks

This move follows recent decisions by Prime Minister Sharif and members of the Cabinet to voluntarily forego their salaries and perks. Sharif has repeatedly said that austerity is the most important concern for his administration, especially in light of Pakistan's dire economic situation.

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In a recent development, Prime Minister Sharif announced plans to approach the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for another programme.This decision comes shortly after the country reached a staff-level agreement with the IMF regarding the disbursement of the final tranche of USD 1.1 billion.

(With inputs from agencies)