The Sindh government announced new business hours on Friday as part of a fuel conservation strategy designed to lower energy consumption across the province. Under these updated regulations, markets in all districts except divisional headquarters will close by 8:00 pm.
In Karachi and other divisional headquarters, shops and shopping malls are permitted to remain open until 9:00 pm. Essential services such as tandoors, medical stores, milk shops, bakeries, and petrol stations are exempt from these restrictions to ensure uninterrupted access.
Restaurants and hotels will be allowed to operate from 7:00 pm until 11:30 pm, while home delivery and takeaway services in Karachi will continue without any limitations. Additionally, wedding halls and banquet venues can function from 8:00 pm to midnight.
The Sindh government has instructed commissioners and deputy commissioners to enforce these measures rigorously, coordinating closely with law enforcement agencies to ensure compliance.
Earlier this month, the federal government mandated that all markets in Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Balochistan, Gilgit-Baltistan (GB), and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) close by 8:00 pm. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif led a high-level meeting on Monday focusing on austerity, energy saving, and petroleum product management, addressing economic challenges linked to regional tensions involving Iran, the US, and Israel.
the federal decision, bazaars, markets, and shopping malls nationwide—except in Sindh—must shut down by 8:00 pm. This policy was developed in consultation with the three provincial governments, GB, and AJK. Notably, markets in KP’s divisional headquarters are allowed to stay open until 9:00 pm. The 8:00 pm closing time also applies to departmental stores and shops selling essential goods.
