Overview
- The Cabinet Division notification, issued Monday with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s approval and signed by a joint secretary, suspends the April 6 closing-time rules until May 31.
- Shops, malls, bazaars, departmental stores, bakeries, tandoors, restaurants and grocery stores may now stay open without fixed closing hours, including round-the-clock operations.
- Earlier rollbacks in Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, plus revised timings in Islamabad, set the stage for this federal pause.
- The scrapped limits had required most markets to shut by 8pm and food outlets by 10pm as part of an energy-saving drive tied to a spike in fuel prices during the Middle East conflict.
- Traders expect stronger sales and easier access for shoppers ahead of Eidul Adha, while officials say the policy could be reviewed after May 31 based on energy use.