Karachi business community agrees to close markets at 8pm

• Karachi commissioner explains federal govt's policy to save energy.
• Seeks cooperation from traders.
• Majority of trade associations assure full cooperation.

KARACHI: In a bid to save energy amid rising inflation, the business community in Karachi has agreed to the closure of shops and markets at 8pm, The News reported Friday.

Commissioner Karachi Muhammad Iqbal Memon held a consultative meeting of the city administration and representatives of business organisations at his office on Thursday. 

He explained the federal government's policy to save energy amid a hike in fuel prices. He also sought cooperation from the traders.

After the consultations, he announced the decision to close shops and markets at 8pm, wedding halls at 10pm and restaurants at 11pm in the metropolis.

The commissioner said that the government has completed consultations with trade and business organisations under energy-saving measures.

The majority of trade associations in the meeting assured full cooperation in the implementation of the decision of the government.

Earlier this week, the National Economic Council (NEC) decided to order the closure of markets across the country at 8:30pm.

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

The chief ministers had appreciated the steps taken by the federal government to deal with the energy crisis and the four provinces agreed on the proposal of markets' closure at 8:30pm.

However, the chief ministers of Sindh, Punjab and Balochistan sought two-day time to hold consultations with the trader associations in their provinces — but all the four provinces agreed with the move in principle.