Sindh Senior Minister Sharjeel Memon on Saturday said that the provincial government had exempted shops, markets, malls, hotels, restaurants, wedding halls and marquees from fixed closing timings to “facilitate businesses and citizens”.
According to the notification, which he shared on the social media platform X, all shops, markets, shopping malls, hotels, restaurants, food outlets, marriage halls, and marquees have been exempted from the 9pm closing time, which was enforced last month. “This decision reflects our commitment to economic growth, public convenience, and support for the business community, which remains the backbone of our economy,” Memon said. Last month, the Sindh government had notified that all shops, markets, and shopping malls in Karachi and other divisional headquarters of the province will close at 9pm throughout the week.
On April 6, the federal government announced that all markets across the country, barring Sindh, would close by 8pm throughout the week as part of energy conservation measures amid a global fuel crisis triggered by the US-Israeli war on Iran. Saturday’s development also comes a day after the Punjab government has granted partial relief and lifted the restriction on market timings until June 1. The decision was in response to traders’ protests and appeals by the shopping malls association and general public to revise 8pm business closure timings.
Separately, the district administration of Islamabad rejected a notification circulating on social media and confirmed that existing timings under the government’s austerity campaign will remain in place. It said no official notification has been issued regarding any change in business operating hours in the federal capital. A spokesperson for the district administration said the notification being circulated about changes in business hours is fake and has not been issued by any official authority. The clarification came after a notification regarding revised timings began circulating, creating confusion among traders and business owners in different parts of the federal capital.