The Sindh government on Saturday announced that shops, markets, shopping malls, hotels, restaurants, marriage halls, and marquees would be exempt from the previously imposed closing-time restrictions under austerity measures.
According to a notification issued by the Sindh government, “All shops, markets, shopping malls, hotels, restaurants, food outlets, marriage halls, and marquees are hereby exempted from the closure timings prescribed vide Home Department.”
On April 10, the Sindh government announced revised timings aimed at coping with the fuel crisis amid tensions in the Middle East. Under the revised timings, shopping malls in districts other than divisional headquarters would close at 8pm, while businesses in divisional headquarters could be open until 9pm.
Restaurants and food outlets could offer dine-in services from 7pm to 11:30pm, while wedding halls would operate between 8pm and midnight. Essential services, including hospitals, pharmacies, bakeries and petrol stations, will remain exempt.
Senior Sindh Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon said business centres across the province would now be allowed to continue operations under their normal working hours without earlier restrictions on operating hours.
He said the restrictions had originally been introduced under an energy conservation and austerity policy aimed at reducing electricity consumption. Memon stated that the provincial government believed in promoting economic activity, public convenience and financial stability.
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“The concerns and suggestions of the business community were taken into account to ensure commercial activities are not affected,” he said. “The Sindh government always takes decisions through consultation, public interest and ground realities,” the minister added.
Memon described traders and industrialists as the backbone of the national economy and said the government would continue taking measures to address their issues and facilitate businesses.
The minister further said the provincial government had protected the interests of the public and the business sector despite challenging economic conditions. He added that similar decisions would continue to be made in the future to support economic growth, employment opportunities and commercial activities across the province.
On May 6, Islamabad’s Deputy Commissioner Irfan Nawaz Memon revised the capital’s austerity-driven timings. According to a notification issued by the office of DC Irfan Nawaz Memon, all shops, markets, and shopping malls would close at 8pm throughout the week, including Saturdays and Sundays.
The notification said that pharmacies, medical stores, medical supply stores, medical laboratories, hospitals, petrol pumps, CNG stations and milk and dairy shops were exempt from the restriction.
The federal government had previously announced its own austerity measures applying across Punjab, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), Balochistan, Islamabad Capital Territory, Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B), and Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
“Under the new regulations, general stores, departmental stores, and all types of malls will also close by 8pm. However, bakeries, restaurants, tandoors and food outlets will be allowed to remain open until 10pm,” it said.
The government had also introduced a range of austerity steps, including an additional weekly holiday, cutting free petrol allocations for ministers, limiting protocol vehicles, and proposing subsidised fuel for students.
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The US and Israel launched an attack on Iran in February, after which Tehran retaliated with strikes and closed the Strait of Hormuz, disrupting global oil supplies and triggering a sharp rise in international oil prices.
As petroleum prices surged, prompting the government to raise fuel prices by more than 50%.
Amid rising prices, the government increased petroleum product rates twice during the first week of March, noting that the hikes exceeded the increase in international market prices. However, the sharpest increase was witnessed in April this year.
Last month, the government raised the petrol price by Rs137 per litre, taking it to a record Rs458.4 per litre. A few days later, however, the prime minister, in a televised address, announced an Rs80 per litre reduction in the petroleum levy on petrol, bringing its price down to Rs378 per litre.
Earlier this month, the government again increased the prices of both petrol and high-speed diesel by Rs26.77 per litre despite no corresponding increase in international rates, after imposing an additional levy of nearly Rs27 per litre on fuel.
A week later, petroleum product prices were increased once again, pushing rates close to Rs400 per litre. Subsequently, the Petroleum Division issued another notification last week, raising prices by nearly Rs15 per litre and another notification on Friday announcing a reduction of Rs5 per litre.Latest News, Breaking News & Top News Stories | The Express TribuneSaleem JhandirRead More