The federal government on Tuesday announced it is cancelling this year’s annual Pakistan Day parade and associated ceremonial events amidst “austerity measures” adopted in the aftermath of the Gulf conflict.
Pakistan Day, a public holiday, is held on March 23 annually with parades, military flypasts, and cultural events taking place nationwide. In a statement, the Prime Minister’s Office said that in the “backdrop of the ongoing Gulf oil crisis and the consequent austerity measures announced by the government, it has been decided that the Pakistan Day Parade and associated ceremonial events shall not be held” this year.
Instead, it said, the day would be marked with “dignity and reverence through a simple flag hoisting ceremony.”
According to the statement, the decision is in line with broader belt-tightening measures announced by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif last week. Among the initiatives taken to conserve fuel, the center has reduced the working week for government employees to four days, implemented work-from-home, and shut schools till the end of March.
The austerity drive stems from the global fuel crisis triggered by the ongoing Iran war and subsequent closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which is used to transport roughly 20% of global supplies.