Essential services, including medical stores, hospitals and petrol pumps, exempt from restrictions
KARACHI:
The Sindh government on Friday announced new opening hours for markets, restaurants and wedding halls as part of austerity measures, according to a notification issued by the Interior Ministry.
Earlier this week, the federal government decided to close markets and malls in Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Balochistan, Islamabad Capital Territory, Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) and Azad Jammu and Kashmir by 8 p.m.
The decision was taken during a key review meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, which focused on energy saving strategies, petroleum products and austerity initiatives. However, Sindh did not align with the decision of the federal government.
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The notification issued today said: “Under the new rules, shops, markets and malls in all districts – except divisional headquarters – will close at 8 p.m. throughout the week, while in divisional headquarters, businesses will be allowed to remain open till 9 p.m. »
The notification also mentioned that essential services, including bakeries, dairies, medical stores, laboratories, clinics, hospitals and gas stations, would be exempted from the restrictions.
“Hotels, restaurants and F&B outlets will be allowed to operate for dinner service only between 7:00 p.m. and 11:30 p.m., while home delivery and takeaway services will not be affected. Wedding halls and banquet halls will be allowed to host events between 8:00 p.m. and midnight,” the notification added.
He further said that the provincial government had asked the commissioners and deputy commissioners to ensure strict implementation of the new timings in coordination with the police.
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Last week, in response to soaring petrol prices and the ongoing energy crisis, the Sindh government announced a monthly subsidy of Rs 2,000 for registered motorcyclists across the province.
Other provincial governments had also started submitting data on eligible beneficiaries for targeted subsidy programs and, after verification, the subsidies were distributed through a transparent digital system.
