- Restaurants and eateries must stay open until 23.00.
- Wedding halls continue to close at 22.00 according to current regulations.
- Takeaway and delivery services remain exempt from restrictions.
The federal government on Wednesday announced new restrictions imposed under fuel conservation and additional austerity measures for businesses and asked provincial governments to implement the same.
According to an official notification issued on Wednesday, shops, markets, malls and general retail outlets will now close at 21.00, while restaurants, cafes and eateries are allowed to operate until
The decision was taken during a meeting of the Committee for Monitoring and Implementation of Austerity Measures, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Tuesday.
Under the revised schedule, takeaway and delivery services will remain exempt from the restrictions. However, marriage halls and event venues will continue to close at 22.00 with no changes to their current opening hours.
Essential services such as pharmacies, hospitals, gas stations and IT and telecommunications services will also remain exempt from the updated closing time regulations.
The committee further directed provincial governments to ensure effective enforcement of the guidelines in coordination with federal authorities.
Meanwhile, uncertainty remains as provincial governments have yet to announce revised business closing hours within their respective jurisdictions, despite the federal government’s announcement of new restrictions.
It should be noted here that the federal and provincial governments imposed restrictions on working hours across the country in April as part of energy conservation measures introduced in response to a sharp increase in domestic fuel prices triggered by tensions in the Middle East.
The restrictions formed part of the federal government’s wider austerity and fuel-saving strategy aimed at reducing energy consumption amid escalating fuel costs.
However, the measures were temporarily relaxed last month ahead of Eid ul Adha, which was observed from May 27 to 29.
On May 18, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif approved a nationwide exemption from business closing times until May 31, allowing commercial centers to operate without the previously imposed restrictions.
The decision came after similar relaxations were announced by provincial administrations. In Punjab, authorities extended relaxed opening hours for markets and commercial centers until June 1, suspending the mandatory closing time of 10 p.m.
Similarly, the Sindh government on May 16 exempted markets, malls, restaurants, hotels and marriage halls from fixed closing hours to support economic activity and provide relief to traders and the public.
The governments of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan also lifted restrictions on market and business operating hours, effectively ending the energy-saving measures across the provinces.
