Sindh lifts curbs on market timings; minister says takes to facilitate businesses, citizens

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. 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.

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