The government has approved revised business operating hours under its austerity monitoring framework, extending market timings in response to longer daylight hours and rising summer temperatures.
The decision was taken in a meeting of the Committee for Monitoring and Implementation of Austerity Measures, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Under the new schedule, shops, markets, malls, and general retail outlets will now remain open until 9:00 PM. Restaurants, cafés, and other eateries will operate until 11:00 PM, while takeaway and delivery services will remain exempt from timing restrictions.
Marriage halls and event venues will continue under existing rules with a closing time of 10:00 PM, with no change in their operating hours. Essential services, including hospitals, pharmacies, fuel stations, and IT and telecom services, have been fully exempted.
The committee also instructed provincial governments to ensure effective implementation of the revised timings in coordination with federal authorities.
During the meeting, participants also reviewed and approved additional agenda items related to austerity measures.
The session was attended by federal ministers for Petroleum, Climate Change, Information, and IT & Telecom, along with SAPM Finance, SAPM to the Deputy Prime Minister, senior officials from the ministries of Commerce, Cabinet, Petroleum, and IT & Telecommunications, as well as representatives from provincial governments.
