Essential services including medical shops, hospitals and petrol pumps exempted from restrictions
KARACHI:
The Sindh government on Friday announced new opening hours for markets, restaurants and wedding halls under austerity measures, according to a notification issued by the interior ministry.
Earlier this week, the federal government decided to close markets and malls in Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Balochistan, Islamabad Capital Territory, Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) and Azad Jammu and Kashmir by
The decision was taken during a central review meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, which focused on energy saving strategies, petroleum products and conservation initiatives. However, Sindh was not in line with the federal government’s decision.
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The notification issued today said: “Under the new rules, shops, markets and malls across all districts – except divisional headquarters – will close at 8pm during the week, while businesses in divisional headquarters will be allowed to remain open till 9pm.”
The announcement also mentioned that essential services including bakeries, milk and dairy shops, medical shops, laboratories, clinics, hospitals and gas stations would be exempted from the restrictions.
“Hotels, restaurants and food outlets will only be allowed to operate dinner service between 7pm and 11.30pm, while home delivery and takeaway will remain unaffected. Wedding halls and banquet halls will be allowed to host events between 8pm and midnight,” the announcement added.
It further stated that the provincial government had directed commissioners and deputy commissioners to ensure strict enforcement of the new timings in coordination with the police.
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Last week, in response to rising petrol prices and the ongoing energy crisis, the Sindh government announced a monthly subsidy of Rs2,000 for registered motorcyclists across the province.
Other provincial governments had also started submitting data on eligible beneficiaries for targeted grant programs and after verification, grants were distributed through a transparent digital system.
