Islamabad: Pakistan has ordered fans of its top cricket tournament to stay home and watch matches on television to conserve fuel as disruptions from the Middle East war continue to batter the South Asian nation’s economy.
The Pakistan Super League, the nation’s biggest sporting event that takes place from March 26 to May 3, has shifted to a watch-from-home model, the organizer said in a statement following consultation with the government. It also streamlined the hosting venues from six to two, with all matches now being staged in Lahore and Karachi.
“It was estimated that with an average of 30,000 spectators and associated support staff traveling daily for more than a month would place significant strain on energy resources,” the Pakistan Cricket Board said in the statement.
Pakistan, heavily dependent on imported fuel and food, has already closed schools for two weeks to save energy, and has extended talks with the International Monetary Fund on its current $7 billion program to better assess the impact of the war.
The government increased the price of high-octane fuel by 60% on Sunday with an additional levy that should raise 9 billion rupees ($32 million) a month in additional revenue. Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb said in a separate address Sunday that Pakistan is planning on taking targeted and structural steps for the next few weeks to cope with the high oil prices.
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