ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - The Pakistani government wants its people to work less, but the response has been far from enthusiastic.
Faced with chronic electricity shortages and popular protests over the power outages, the government earlier this month announced a sweeping energy conservation plan. The conservation measures include, among others, the early closure of marriage halls and the use of energy-saving light bulbs; but the one proposal that has generated the most outrage is a mandatory two-day weekend on Saturdays and Sundays.
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The business community has lashed out at the mere idea of a two-day weekend, saying that the last thing Pakistan’s troubled economy needs is two days a week without any economic output. All four provinces have ignored the government’s directive, while Pakistan’s Supreme Court said it would continue writing judgments on Saturdays as usual.
A newspaper online poll found only 36 percent of people in favor of a longer weekend.
For now the two-day weekend is limited to government institutions, banks and private institutions that fall under government supervision, but officials said they want the measure adopted by all sectors of Pakistan’s economy.
Tayyab Khan said the decision could spell disaster for his Islamabad bakery. A large part of the capital’s population works for the federal government, but comes from other regions. With a full two days off many would desert the capital to return to their villages, Khan predicted.
“Where would be our buyers?” asked Khan, whose bakery is open seven days a week. “There is no benefit from this decision.”
He added that he had no intention to close his shop two days a week.
Sunday is the closest thing to a holiday in Pakistan. Offices, banks and many private companies are closed, but most shops remain open. Activity also slows down on Fridays when workers take a long midday break to attend prayers. Many don’t return to work afterward, leading some to suggest that the two-day weekend should take place on Fridays and Sundays.
Mian Abrar Ahmad, the president of the Karachi Chamber of Commerce & Industry, said in a statement that he doesn’t want any holiday at all, explaining that Pakistan’s fragile economy needed to run “365 days” a year for its recovery.
Power cuts are a perennial issue in Pakistan. As the electricity demand far exceeds the supply, authorities schedule power outages throughout the day in a process known as loadshedding.
But many here doubt the institution of a five-day workweek will do much to solve the country’s energy crisis.
“This is just drama, nothing else,” said Liaqat Ali Khan, a driver at the Ministry for Religious Affairs.
Khan, himself a government employee, said he will enjoy the additional family time and wondered if the extra free time was not the primary motivation of the government officials who penned the conservation plan.
Syed Mujab Rizvi, a colleague of Khan’s at the ministry, acknowledged a two-day weekend would not cure the country’s electricity woes but hailed it as a “good decision” nonetheless.
“This is not a permanent solution,” he said, “but it helps government employees come back to work on Monday with a fresh mind.” Washington Post
