Government Exempts Markets from Early Closure Rules Until May 31
The federal government has suspended early closure directives for commercial centers nationwide, allowing businesses to operate according to their regular hours until May 31. The exemption was approved by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, with the Cabinet Division issuing a formal notification dated May 18.
The directive applies to all shops, departmental stores, markets, shopping malls, bakeries, tandoors, restaurants, and grocery stores across the country for all days of the week. This temporarily lifts the austerity measures previously put in place to conserve energy.
The original order, issued on April 6, had mandated that all markets, excluding those in Sindh, close by 8 p.m. as part of a national energy conservation plan. The closure time for wedding halls, restaurants, and other eateries was set at 10 p.m. under the same initiative.
The federal government’s decision follows similar moves by provincial governments last week. Punjab was the first to lift the restrictions until June 1 in response to protests from traders. Subsequently, Balochistan also relaxed the timings until June 1, while the governments of Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa withdrew the closure restrictions without setting a new timeline.
