Punjab Chief Minister Hamza Shahbaz declared on Saturday that markets throughout the state will shut at 9 p.m. as the government strives to preserve electricity after the country’s power outage.
According to an official post-meeting statement, the chief minister made the announcement at a meeting with members of trade groups.
The following are the new times (effective Monday):
- Markets, stores, and enterprises will close at 9 p.m.
- Marriage halls will shut at 10 p.m.
- At 11 p.m., restaurants shut.
- On Saturdays, traders will be offered a special exemption.
- Medical shops are not subject to time constraints.
The chief minister said that on the occasion of Eid-ul-Adha, the administration would confer with merchants and, if necessary, change the dates.
To conserve power, Sindh markets will shut at 9 p.m.
According to the statement, the merchants have stated their full support for the government’s energy-saving measures.