Sindh Senior Minister Sharjeel Memon on Saturday said that the provincial government had exempted shops, markets, malls, hotels, restaurants, wedding halls and marquees from fixed closing timings to “facilitate businesses and citizens”.

According to the notification, which he shared on the social media platform X, all shops, markets, shopping malls, hotels, restaurants, food outlets, marriage halls, and marquees have been exempted from the 9pm closing time, which was enforced last month.

“This decision reflects our commitment to economic growth, public convenience, and support for the business community, which remains the backbone of our economy,” Memon said.

KP lifts market timing restrictions

In a notification issued by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Secretary, the provincial government lifted restrictions on closure timings for markets, commercial and business centres with immediate effect.

The notification, available with Dawn, follows a prior public notice regarding temporary electricity conservation and commercial closure measures across the province.

“However, all citizens, commercial establishments, markets, plazas, marriage halls, restaurants, industries and public sector offices are requested to continue observing electricity conservation measures, particularly the avoidance of unnecessary and decorative lighting, prudent use of air-conditioning, and other non-essential electricity consumption in the larger public interest,” it read.

Last month, the Sindh government had notified that all shops, markets, and shopping malls in Karachi and other divisional headquarters of the province will close at 9pm throughout the week, including Saturdays and Sundays, as part of austerity measures amid the Middle East conflict, which has triggered a global oil crisis.

On April 6, the federal government announced that all markets across the country, barring Sindh, would close by 8pm throughout the week as part of energy conservation measures amid a global fuel crisis triggered by the US-Israeli war on Iran.

Saturday’s development also comes a day after the Punjab government has granted partial relief and lifted the restriction on market timings until June 1. The decision was in response to traders’ protests and appeals by the shopping malls association and general public to revise 8pm business closure timings.