Islamabad, April 6 Pakistan's government on Monday decided to close down markets and shopping malls early to save energy in the wake of fuel supply disruptions caused by the West Asia conflict.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif chaired a meeting to discuss the energy situation, a statement by the PM's Office said.
Markets and shopping malls in Punjab, Balochistan, Islamabad, and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir would close by 8 pm from Tuesday.
In Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, the normal timing of 8 pm would be followed in the province, but markets in divisional headquarters would be allowed to remain open till 9 pm.
Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah told the media that he would consult with business representatives and decide on a time for closing the markets in Sindh.
"It has been decided to close markets by 8 pm, but I will first hold consultations with business leaders and then decide," he said.
The meeting, chaired by the prime minister, also decided that bakeries, restaurants, tandoors, and shops selling food items would close by 10 pm.
Similarly, the wedding hall would close by 10 pm.
However, medical stores and pharmacies were given exemptions from timing restrictions, according to the statement. "The new time will be effective from April 7 (Tuesday)," it stated.
Pakistan has been taking measures to offset the impact of disruption in fuel supplies and bring down the demand to save its foreign exchange being spent on buying petroleum products.