Pakistan: Punjab to shut down markets at 9pm under power-saving plan

According to sources, the government held consultations with trade associations and chambers and the plan will be implemented from next week onward.

Under the first phase the restrictions relating to the power-saving plan, will be in place for two months.

Reports also said that the government is also considering closing restaurants earlier as well.

Commenting on the proposal, Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) President Nauman Kabir said that the traders have been taken on board along with the government on all sorts of plans related to the national interest.

A day earlier, the Sindh government also announced that markets across the province will shut down at 9pm to save electricity as the country witnesses constant power outages.

The measure, which will remain in effect till July 16, is in response to the prevalent outages, and load shedding of the electricity and seeks to reduce the shortfall between the supply and demand of electricity, according to the notification.

According to the notification, it was decided that the morning hours must be utilised for business activities.

All markets and shopping malls shall close by 9pm, the notification said. However, this does not extend to medical stores, pharmacies, hospitals, petrol pumps, CNG stations, bakeries and milk shops.

(With UNI inputs)