June 01, 2008	Sunday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 26, 1429

ISLAMABAD, May 31: All markets in the country will close at 9pm from Sunday in pursuance of the government’s energy conservation programme.

Clocks were moved forward by an hour on Saturday midnight as part of the plan.

Speaking at a press conference here on Saturday, Water and Power Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf appealed to the people to help the government conserve energy under its two-pronged strategy of saving energy and generating power simultaneously.

After the adjustment in the Pakistan Standard Time, sunrise in Islamabad will be at 5:55am on Sunday instead of 4:55am and the sunset at about 8:15pm instead of 7.15pm.

Similar moves to introduce ‘daylight saving time’ in the country have failed twice in the past. But, the water minister said that this time things could be different if the nation cooperated for the sake of this national cause.

He said that after three months people would see gradual decline in loadshedding and by August 14 next year there would be no loadshedding in the country.

The energy conservation plan was approved by the cabinet on May 14. The plan also included inviting international bids for generating 1,200MW electricity on a fast-track basis.

Mr Ashraf said that air-conditioners in all government offices would remain switched off from 8am to 11am. Half of streetlights will remain off during three months.

As on Saturday, the country was facing a deficit of 4,500MW power — 500MW more than a fortnight ago. The government plans to generate 6,000MW to meet the deficit and ensure that there is no loadshedding in future.