May 12, 2007	Saturday	Rabi-us-Sani 24, 1428

ISLAMABAD, May 11: The government has given an extra hour to markets and commercial centres which will now be allowed to remain open till 9pm, instead of the earlier schedule of 8pm.

The decision to extend the time by one hour was taken at a meeting between Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and Minister for Water and Power Liaquat Ali Jatoi here on Friday, following a similar decision taken by the Punjab cabinet a day earlier.

Meanwhile, an official in the ministry of water and power conceded that the load management plan announced last week had suffered a setback because of over 4,000 500-watt floodlights switched on three days ago for President Pervez Musharraf’s rally scheduled for Saturday to counter the receptions being given to Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry.

The official said the Islamabad Electric Supply Company was providing direct electricity supply for the event and about 20 generators had been made available for backup. “We cannot expect the people to switch off their lights when they see the extravagance by the government,” he said.

An official statement said: “The government has allowed the traders to close shops, bazaars and other business and commercial activities by 9pm” keeping in view demands of the traders’ community and public convenience.

Mr Jatoi appealed to the people throughout the country to conserve energy in the best national interest.

The owners of marriage halls should avoid the decoration and unnecessary lighting. Industrial units should reduce electric load by 25 per cent during peak hours, the statement said. It advised farmers to use electricity during off-peak hours and benefit from subsidised tariff.

The minister said that with the cooperation of the people in the energy conservation campaign, the country would be able to continue industrial activities, while educational institutions and hospitals would get uninterrupted supply.