Shops, markets, malls, bazaars, grocery stores and kiryana stores will close at 9:00 pm on all weekdays.
Price control magistrates across the province raided as many as 8,511 shops and businesses in 1,698 markets. PHOTO: SHAHBAZ MALIK
The federal government on Wednesday revised business and commercial closing times across the country, allowing most stores, markets and restaurants to stay open later as summer daylight hours lengthen and temperatures rise.
According to a notification issued by the Cabinet Division, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif approved the revised deadlines with immediate effect, partially relaxing restrictions introduced under the austerity and fuel conservation measures announced in April.
According to the revised schedule, shops, markets, malls, bazaars, department stores, grocery stores and kiryana stores will close at 9:00 pm on all weekdays, including weekends.
Marriage halls, marquees and other venues holding festive events will be allowed to operate until 10pm, while restaurants, cafes, canteens and food establishments, along with independent fruit and vegetable shops, will be allowed to remain open until 11pm. Takeaway and delivery services will be exempt from closing time restrictions.
The notification also exempted pharmacies, medical stores, laboratories, clinics and hospitals from the prescribed timings. Independent bakeries, tandoors, milk and dairy shops, petrol and CNG stations, electric vehicle charging facilities, gyms, sports facilities, paddle tennis courts, IT companies and call centers have also been exempted.
Provincial and regional governments have been advised to implement the new schedules accordingly. The revised schedules replace previous restrictions imposed under the government’s fuel conservation policy aimed at reducing energy consumption and managing fuel costs.
Read: ICT impose early closure of markets
The austerity measures were introduced after a sharp escalation in tensions between Iran, Israel and the United States disrupted global energy markets. Following the military exchanges and Iran’s subsequent closure of the Strait of Hormuz, international oil prices soared, increasing Pakistan’s import bill and putting pressure on domestic fuel prices.
In response, the government raised oil prices several times, with the steepest increases recorded in April. Officials said the adjustments were necessary to reflect higher international oil prices and ensure fuel supplies remained uninterrupted.
In March, to curb fuel consumption and reduce energy costs, the federal government imposed a series of austerity measures in Punjab, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, Islamabad, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir. These included earlier closures of markets and shopping centres, an extra weekly holiday for government offices, cuts to free fuel allowances for ministers and restrictions on the use of official vehicles.
Restrictions were temporarily eased before Eid, but were reinstated from April 1 as the government attempted to manage the impact of the ongoing fuel crisis.
