Shops, markets, malls, bazaars, grocery stores and Kiryana stores will close at 9 p.m. on all weekdays.
As many as 8,511 shops and businesses in 1,698 markets were raided by price control magistrates across the province. PHOTO: SHAHBAZ MALIK
The federal government on Wednesday revised closing hours for businesses and businesses across the country, allowing most shops, markets and restaurants to stay open later as daylight hours lengthen and temperatures rise.
According to a notification issued by the Cabinet Division, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif approved the revised schedules with immediate effect, partially easing restrictions introduced as part of fuel-saving and austerity measures announced in April.
According to the revised schedule, shops, markets, malls, bazaars, department stores, grocery stores and kiryana stores will close at 9 pm on all days of the week, including weekends.
Wedding halls, marquees and other venues hosting festive events will be allowed to operate until 10 p.m., while restaurants, cafes, restaurants and retail outlets, as well as stand-alone fruit and vegetable shops, can stay open until 11 p.m. Takeaway and home delivery services will remain exempt from closing time restrictions.
The notification also exempted pharmacies, pharmacies, laboratories, clinics and hospitals from the prescribed deadlines. Stand-alone bakeries, tandoors, milk and dairy shops, petrol and CNG stations, electric vehicle charging facilities, gymnasiums, sports facilities, padel 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 deadlines replace previous restrictions imposed under the government’s fuel economy policy aimed at reducing energy consumption and managing fuel costs.
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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 largest increase occurring in April. Officials said the adjustments were necessary to reflect rising international oil prices and ensure continued fuel supplies.
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 closing times for markets and shopping malls, additional weekly leave for government offices, reductions in free fuel allowances for ministers, and restrictions on the use of official vehicles.
Restrictions were temporarily eased ahead of Eid, but were reinstated from April 1 as the government sought to manage the impact of the ongoing fuel crisis.
