LAHORE – As EidulAdha 2026 approaches, traders and shoppers across Pakistan are hoping the government will extend market hours to accommodate the pre-Eid rush.
Citizens typically buy clothes, jewelry, and other essentials in the days leading up to the festival.
Lahore-based trader Muhammad Naeem told the Pakistan Observer that longer hours would benefit both consumers and shopkeepers.
Currently, markets and shopping malls are required to close by 8pm as part of energy conservation measures announced last month during a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
Markets in divisional headquarters of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa may be allowed to operate until 9pm, while discussions continue on timings for Sindh.
In other provinces, including Punjab, Balochistan, Islamabad, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Azad Jammu & Kashmir, shops will likely close by 8pm.
The energy-saving measures come amid ongoing instability in the Middle East, where US-Israeli strikes on Iran and disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz have driven up fuel prices and affected supply chains.
Eid-ul-Adha 2026 is expected on May 27 or 28, and the government is yet to announce final market timings.
