KP orders fuel conservation as PM directs national strategy

• KP Finance Ministry instructs all departments to restrict fuel use to essential official duties and emergencies

• Outstation visits, ceremonial trips, and non-essential travel suspended with immediate effect

• Official vehicles to be pooled; meetings encouraged via virtual platforms to save fuel

  PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Finance Department on Saturday directed all offices under its jurisdiction to adopt conservation measures in light of the escalating Middle East crisis and anticipated disruptions in the supply of petroleum products.

A notification issued by the KP Finance Department, warned that a “critical situation is expected to arise at the local level” due to potential disruptions in fuel supply.

PTI's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government, led by CM @SohailAfridiISF, has implemented austerity measures aimed to limit the use of public resources on unnecessary and ceremonial activities. pic.twitter.com/kic4e3DnCR

— PTI USA Official (@PTIOfficialUSA) March 7, 2026

“Given the possible implications, it has become necessary to adopt precautionary and conservative measures to ensure the smooth functioning of government operations in the province,” the notification added.

According to the directives, all departments, formations, and subordinate offices working under the finance department are required to ensure judicious and economical use of petroleum products.

Officials have been instructed to restrict fuel consumption strictly to essential official duties, emergency response activities, and unavoidable field operations. Non-essential activities such as outstation visits, inspections, ceremonial visits, and other official travel are to be curtailed immediately.

The notification emphasized that official vehicles shall be used strictly for official purposes, encouraging the pooling of vehicles where feasible and discouraging the use of multiple vehicles for the same official task.

“All internal, inter-departmental, and coordination meetings should, as far as practicable, be conducted via virtual platforms to minimise fuel consumption,” the notification added.

It further directed that fuel allocations and vehicle usage must be properly monitored and recorded by administrative offices to ensure efficiency. Department heads and office leaders were instructed to sensitise all officers and staff regarding austerity in the use of government resources during the current circumstances.

The notification stressed that the ongoing budget cycle and preparations for the upcoming financial year remain a priority. Offices are required to ensure that the conservation measures do not hamper budget-related activities in any way.

This development comes after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday directed the finance and petroleum ministers to coordinate with provincial governments to devise a strategy for petroleum conservation and uninterrupted supply.

Meanwhile, a proposed national action plan, which included work-from-home and distance-learning measures, had been deferred following a meeting chaired by the premier on Friday.