Punjab does away with 9pm closure for markets

CM Elahi accepts traders' request, permits markets to remain open on Sundays

LAHORE:

The Punjab government on Wednesday announced an end to reduced business hours that had been in place since June, allowing markets to remain open past 9 pm.

The early closure of markets had been put in place by the coalition government under Hamza Shahbaz in a bid to conserve energy following an increase in petroleum product prices. However, traders had been demanding an end to the 9 pm closure for several months.

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The new chief minister of Punjab, Chaudhry Pervez Elahi, announced the suspension of the order and also allowed business activities to continue through Sundays –bringing an end to weekly lockdowns.

Following the announcement, CM Elahi directed the secretary of industry to issue a notification at the earliest while the district administration and related institutions have already been duly informed.

The development comes despite the fact that the power crisis continues in the country. There is an electricity shortfall of 6,439 megawatts (MWs), resulting in power outages of up to six hours in urban cities and twelve hours in rural areas. There is a huge demand and supply deficit as the country requires around 24,900 MWs of electricity while plants are only producing 18,461 MWs.