Cloth traders in Faisalabad have found a way to dodge the authorities. They open their shops in various Clock Tower bazaars in the wee hours and close after a short while before officials begin their daily visits to the markets to ensure nothing is open.

During a visit to some of the bazaars, particularly those in the Gole Cloth area, scores of shops were found open and entertaining customers. Barring a handful of people among the hundreds present, no one in the bazaars was seen wearing masks, maintaining social distancing or taking any other precautionary measures.

Read the full story here.

Opinion

Editorial

On press freedoms
Updated 03 May, 2026

On press freedoms

THE citizenry forgets, to its own peril, how important a free and independent media is in the preservation of their...
Inflation strain
03 May, 2026

Inflation strain

PAKISTAN’S return to double-digit inflation after 21 months signals renewed economic strain where external shocks...
Troubled waters
03 May, 2026

Troubled waters

PAKISTAN’S water crisis is often framed in terms of scarcity. Increasingly, it is also a crisis of contamination....
Iran stalemate
Updated 02 May, 2026

Iran stalemate

THE US and Iran are currently somewhere between war and peace. While a tenuous ceasefire — extended largely due to...
Tax shortfall
02 May, 2026

Tax shortfall

THE Rs684bn shortfall in tax collection during the first 10 months of the fiscal year is a continuation of a...
Teaching inclusion
02 May, 2026

Teaching inclusion

DISCRIMINATORY and exclusionary content in Punjab’s textbooks has been flagged in Inclusive Education for a United...