Sindh announces new business timings 

The government of Sindh on Friday announced revised business hours under a new fuel conservation policy aimed at reducing energy consumption, ARY News reported.

Under the new directives, markets in all districts—except divisional headquarters—will close at 8:00 pm. In Karachi and other divisional headquarters, shops and shopping malls will remain open until 9:00 pm.

Certain essential services, including tandoors, medical stores, milk shops, bakeries, and petrol pumps, have been exempted from these restrictions.

Restaurants and hotels will be allowed to operate from 7:00 pm until 11:30 pm. In Karachi, home delivery and takeaway services will continue without any restrictions.

Additionally, wedding halls and banquet facilities will be permitted to operate from 8:00 pm to 12:00 midnight.

The Sindh government has directed commissioners and deputy commissioners to ensure strict implementation of these measures in coordination with the police.

Earlier this month, the Federal Government decided to close all markets in Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Balochistan, Gilgit-Baltistan (GB), and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) at 8:00 PM.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif chaired a high-level meeting on Monday to discuss austerity, energy conservation, and petroleum products.

The session addressed the economic situation arising from the regional conflict involving Iran, the US, and Israel.

According to the decision, all bazaars, markets, and shopping malls across the country—excluding Sindh—will shut down by 8:00 PM.

This policy was finalized in consultation with the three provincial governments, GB, and AJK. However, markets in the divisional headquarters of KP will be allowed to remain open until 9:00 PM.

The 8:00 PM deadline also applies to departmental stores and shops selling essential commodities.