Senate Chairman Gilani Launches Austerity Drive With Rs700–750m Savings Target

The initiative starts with deep cuts to his own office to set a precedent for tighter spending across the secretariat.

Overview

Gilani ordered immediate enforcement of cost controls beginning with sharp reductions in the chairman’s office budget to lead a Secretariat-wide squeeze.
The package bans foreign travel, halves POL consumption, grounds 60% of official vehicles, halts non-essential procurement, applies salary deductions in line with policy, and introduces rotation-based pick-and-drop services.
Officials project cutting more than half of the remaining budget for the current fiscal year, yielding estimated savings of Rs700–750 million.
A newly formed Senate Austerity Committee will review and approve all future purchases to enforce stricter oversight.
The Senate Secretariat publicly denied reports of a Rs90 million Land Cruiser for the chairman.