Pak govt mulls to close shops by 8pm, again

The Government of Pakistan has once again chosen to close markets and commercial centres daily at 8pm local time in a bid to save energy.

This move was swiftly opposed by business owners who claim that peak hour begins at 8pm.

To reduce the nation's dependency on imported fuel, the government has also chosen to include energy changes in the budget for the upcoming fiscal year, reports DAWN.com.

The decisions were made on Tuesday (6 June) during two meetings presided over by Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal informed the media following a National Economic Council (NEC) meeting that the provinces have agreed to begin implementing the early market closure from 1 July.

"Today, steps for energy conservation have been recommended under the plan, such as the closure of shops and commercial centres by 8pm, switching to LED lights and upgrading geysers to make them more energy efficient," he said, hoping that these measures could help the country save up to $1 billion a year.

Recent government attempts to compel early market closure have seemingly failed as a result of political pressure and pressure from traders.

Traders have remained unmoving once again. "We will not close our shops by 8pm in the current season. The government has made many such attempts in the past but failed," Ajmal Baloch, president of the All Pakistan Anjuman-i-Tajiran, said in a statement.

He maintained that nowadays, the busiest shopping hours are from 8pm to 11pm, and that people hardly ever leave their houses to shop during the warm days. He questioned whether it was wise to preserve energy at the expense of the nation's economy and requested that the energy minister consult with traders on the subject.

Infrastructure and energy issues were covered at the meeting, according to minister Iqbal, who also noted that Pakistan was facing significant challenges as a result of rising global energy prices.