- Restaurants and dining rooms may remain open until 11:00 p.m.
- Marriage halls will continue to close at 10 pm as per existing rules.
- Takeout and delivery services remain exempt from restrictions.
The federal government on Wednesday notified new restriction deadlines imposed under fuel conservation and additional austerity measures for businesses, calling on provincial governments to implement the same.
According to an official notification issued on Wednesday, shops, markets, shopping malls and general outlets will now close at 9 pm, while restaurants, cafes and eateries will be allowed to operate until 11 pm.
The decision was taken on Tuesday during a meeting of the Committee for Monitoring and Implementation of Austerity Measures, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar.
Under the revised schedule, takeout and delivery services will remain exempt from the restrictions. However, marriage halls and event venues will continue to close at 10 pm, with no changes to their current operating hours.
Essential services such as pharmacies, hospitals, fuel stations and IT and telecommunications services will also remain exempt from the updated closing time regulations.
The committee further directed the provincial governments to ensure effective implementation of the guidelines in coordination with the federal authorities.
Meanwhile, uncertainty remains as provincial governments have yet to notify revised business closure schedules within their respective jurisdictions, despite the announcement of new restrictions by the federal government.
It is worth noting here that the federal and provincial governments imposed restrictions on commercial operating hours across the country in April as part of energy conservation measures introduced in response to a sharp rise in domestic fuel prices caused by tensions in the Middle East.
The restrictions were part of a broader federal government austerity and fuel conservation strategy aimed at reducing energy consumption amid rising fuel costs.
However, the measures were temporarily eased last month ahead of Eid ul Adha, which fell from May 27 to 29.
On May 18, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif approved a nationwide waiver of business closing hours until May 31, allowing shopping malls to operate without previously imposed restrictions.
The decision came after provincial administrations announced similar relaxations. In Punjab, authorities extended the relaxed operating hours of markets and shopping malls until June 1, suspending the mandatory 8pm closure.
Similarly, on May 16, the Sindh government exempted markets, shopping malls, restaurants, hotels and wedding halls from fixed closing hours to support economic activity and provide relief to traders and the public.
The governments of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan also lifted restrictions on operating hours of markets and businesses, effectively ending energy-saving measures in all provinces.
