Energy conservation: Stakeholders consult over markets closure time

KARACHI: A session at the Commissioner’s office has been underway for consultation over closure time of markets and wedding halls in the metropolis, ARY News reported on Thursday.

The meeting being attended by the Commissioner Karachi and representatives of the Sindh government and Wedding Halls Association and Hotels Association.

The federal government recently announced an energy conservation plan, according to which all commercial centers and restaurants will shut at 8:00pm.

Traders’ representatives in the meeting demanded shutdown of markets at 10:00pm and wedding halls at 11:00pm.

“The city facing traffic and other problems, while power load shedding has made it already difficult to do business,” traders said. “The domestic gas consumers are also facing gas load-shedding,” traders argued.

Traders were represented by President, Grocery Association Abdul Rauf and Chairman Tajir Ittehad Jameel Piracha.

The meeting was attended by Sindh’s ministers Saeed Ghani and Ikramullah Dharejo.

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Dec 20, shared decisions of the federal cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

He, however, said the timings of the restaurants may be extended by an hour.

The federal minister went on to say wedding halls will be closed at 10pm across Pakistan, adding that the decision would help Pakistan to save 8,000 to 9,000 megawatts of electricity and Rs62 billion in a year.

“Markets in other parts of the world are shut down by 6pm but they remain open beyond midnight in Pakistan,” said Khawaja Asif.

The federal minister further said that the government would take all four provinces on board regarding energy decisions and the final plan would be launched by Thursday with consensus.

Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif emphasized on focusing on National energy conservation plan for the development of the country.