Pakistan lifts business-hour restrictions nationwide until May 31

PM Shehbaz Sharif has lifted business-hour restrictions across Pakistan until May 31, allowing shops, malls, restaurants and markets to operate freely ahead of Eid

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif approved on Monday a nationwide exemption from business-hour restrictions until May 31, allowing commercial establishments across Pakistan to operate without fixed closing times.

The Cabinet Division issued a formal notification covering shops, departmental stores, markets, shopping malls, bakeries, tandoors, restaurants and grocery stores.

What business-hour restrictions has Pakistan lifted?

The federal government has suspended mandatory early closure rules for all major commercial establishments until May 31.

Shops, markets, malls and restaurants may now remain open seven days a week without regulated closing times.

The exemption takes effect immediately and covers businesses that had been ordered to close as early as 8 p.m. under energy conservation measures introduced in April.

Which businesses are covered by the exemption?

The Cabinet Division notification lists shops, departmental stores, markets and shopping malls as covered under the exemption. Bakeries, tandoors, restaurants and grocery stores are also included, having previously been subject to fixed operating schedules.

The notification does not carve out exceptions for any of these categories.

Why were business hours restricted in the first place?

Business hours were curtailed nationwide in April as part of energy conservation measures introduced after a sharp rise in domestic fuel prices. The increase was linked to conflict in the Middle East, specifically the US-Israeli war on Iran.

On April 6, the federal government ordered markets across Pakistan, except in Sindh, to close by 8 p.m. throughout the week. Wedding halls, bakeries, restaurants, tandoors and other eateries had been required to close by 10 p.m.

What restrictions did Sindh impose?

The Sindh government followed on April 10, requiring shops, markets and shopping malls in Karachi and other divisional headquarters to close by 9 p.m.

Hotels, restaurants and food outlets in Sindh were permitted to operate only between 7 p.m. and 11:30 p.m., while wedding halls and banquet venues could remain open between 8 p.m. and midnight. Medical stores, pharmacies, clinics, hospitals, dairy shops and fuel stations were exempted from the Sindh order.

Have provincial governments also eased business-hour restrictions?

The federal exemption follows similar decisions already taken by all four provincial governments. Punjab extended relaxed operating hours for markets and commercial centers until June 1, suspending its mandatory 8 p.m. closure rule.

Sindh announced relief measures for traders and residents on May 16, exempting markets, shopping malls, restaurants, hotels and marriage halls from fixed closing times. The governments of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan also lifted restrictions on market timings after ending smart lockdown measures across their provinces.