Islamabad revises business hours under austerity measures

Islamabad has revised closing hours for markets, shops and commercial activities under ongoing austerity measures. Shops and malls will shut at 8pm, while restaurants, grocery stores and event venues will close at 10pm. The Islamabad administration on Tuesday issued a revised order setting new closing times for markets, businesses and commercial activities as part of ongoing austerity measures. According to a notification issued by the office of Deputy Commissioner Irfan Nawaz Memon, all shops, markets and shopping malls in the federal capital will shut at 8pm throughout the week, including Saturdays and Sundays. The order said several essential services would remain exempt from the restriction. These include pharmacies, medical stores, medical supply stores, medical laboratories, hospitals, petrol pumps, CNG stations, and milk and dairy shops. The administration also fixed separate timings for a number of food-related businesses. Restaurants and food outlets, tandoors, grocery stores, meat shops, fruit and dry fruit shops, vegetable vendors, and bakeries will close at 10pm. The notification, however, stated that there shall be no restriction on takeaway and home delivery services. It further said that marriage halls, marquees and other commercial venues hosting events would also close at 10pm throughout the week. The order applies to functions held at private premises as well. According to the notification, this order will come into effect from May 5 and shall remain in force till further orders. The revised timings come against the backdrop of austerity steps announced by the government in March across the country. Those measures were introduced due to the ongoing conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran, which disrupted supply chains and pushed crude oil prices to a two-year high. Since then, both the federal and provincial governments have rolled out a range of steps aimed at reducing energy use and limiting expenditure. These include an additional weekly holiday, reductions in free petrol allocations for ministers, restrictions on protocol vehicles, and proposals for subsidised fuel for students. The federal government has also called on the public to adopt austerity measures in daily life and cooperate with authorities in conserving energy amid the fuel crisis triggered by the conflict in the Middle East. The latest notification from the Islamabad administration formalises the revised business hours for the capital and sets out the categories that are exempt, as well as those that will be allowed to operate until later in the evening under the austerity framework now in place.