Pakistan announces online classes for schools, work from home, to save fuel amid Mideast war

Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday unveiled a raft of austerity measures designed to save fuel, as oil prices soar due to the Middle East conflict.

Pakistan depends on oil and gas from the Gulf and last Friday hiked prices at the pump by about 20 percent, triggering long lines at petrol stations across the country. Sharif said in a televised address that action was necessary, warning: "The energy crisis is the new crisis."

At a meeting on Monday, he said ministers had agreed to try to prevent the situation from worsening and had agreed that government offices except banks should move to a four-day week, with half of all staff ordered to work from home. School holidays have been extended, with lessons moving online after two weeks. Fuel allowances for official vehicles except ambulances have been cut by 50 percent for the next two months.