NEC meeting: Provinces agree on closure of markets at 8:30pm

ISLAMABAD: The National Economic Council (NEC) has decided to close markets across the country at 8:30pm, ARY News reported on Wednesday.

The decision was taken during the NEC meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The meeting was attended by chief ministers of Sindh, Balochistan and Punjab while Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was represented by its chief secretary Dr Shehzad Khan.

During the meeting, the provincial chief ministers were apprised of the proposals and decisions taken during the June 7, 2022 meeting of the federal cabinet to deal with the energy crisis in the country.

The chief ministers agreed with the federal government’s proposal to close the markets at 8.30pm. Meanwhile, Sindh, Punjab and Balochistan have asked for two days to implement the decision as they wish to consult the traders’ association in their provinces.

The chief ministers also backed the decisions of the federal cabinet on nationwide measures to deal with the energy crisis and assured their full cooperation in tackling the energy crisis.