ISLAMABAD – As global tensions ripple through energy markets, Pakistan has taken stern measure to conserve fuel as markets and shopping malls across most of the country will now close by 8pm.
The move is part of a broader push to curb energy consumption after rising fuel prices and supply disruptions linked to conflict in the Middle East, which has also affected shipping through the critical Strait of Hormuz.
The decision was made in a high-level meeting in Islamabad chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, according to an official statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office.
Under the new policy, Sindh has been temporarily excluded from the decision as consultations continue to determine suitable business hours for the region. Meanwhile, markets located in divisional headquarters of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will be allowed to remain open slightly longer, until 9 pm.
For Punjab, Balochistan, Islamabad, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir, along with other parts of KP, all markets and shopping malls will now close at 8pm.
The announcement follows similar steps taken a day earlier by the provincial governments of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, which had already introduced revised business timings aligned with the federal government’s energy-saving measures.
Officials said the meeting also reviewed a broader package of fuel-saving and austerity measures as Pakistan braces for economic pressure triggered by a rapidly escalating conflict in the Middle East.
The crisis erupted on February 28 when the US and Israel launched military strikes on Iran, sparking regional tensions and severely disrupting shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz,which carried nearly 25% of the world’s oil supply.
With oil shipments affected and fuel prices climbing worldwide, Pakistan’s government is now scrambling to conserve energy and shield the economy from the ripple effects of the global crisis.
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