Sindh orders markets to close by 9pm in latest bid to conserve energy

Notification says Saturdays will be exempted from the restrictions in addition to a weekly off

The Sindh government on Tuesday issued fresh guidelines for businesses and gatherings in the province in a bid to conserve energy. In a notification, the provincial government directed all markets to be closed by 9pm, and social gatherings by 10:30pm.

The directives will have to be followed strictly by all wedding halls and banquets as well as shopping malls, trade centres and super stores.

The communiqué further said lights of billboards and other forms of advertisements will also have to be switched off for maximum energy conservation.

Also read: Traders resent govt’s energy-saving scheme

It also said that restaurants, coffee shops, health centres, clubs, gyms, cinemas and theatres will be allowed to operate until 11:30pm.

The new restrictions would not be applied on Saturdays and either Friday or Sunday will be considered a weekly off.

Karachi has always been a city that thrives after dark, as businesses, markets and restaurants wake up late in the day and stay open till wee hours, affording the city its famous nightlife. Considering which, the city’s businesses had rejected similar plans by the government in the past.

Traders in Karachi, especially those in the inner parts of the city, continued to stay open till late hours of the night, flaunting the similar directives issued last month. For them, such schemes offer no reprieve from extensive load-shedding hours.