Islamabad administration revises business timings, extends restrictions to bakeries and sports facilities

ISLAMABAD: The capital administration on Thursday issued an amended notification regarding the closing time for markets, extending the restriction to bakeries and sports facilities.

In a notification issued via the office of Islamabad Deputy Commissioner Irfan Nawaz Memon, the previous April 6 order was slightly amended. Under “partial modification”, bakeries were told to close at 10pm, and sports facilities, including clubs and gymnasiums, to close by 8pm.

According to the notification, effective April 16, “all shops, markets, and shopping malls shall be closed at 8pm throughout the week”.

However, it added that pharmacies, medical supply stores, medical laboratories, hospitals, petrol pumps, CNG stations, and milk/dairy shops were exempt from the restrictions.

“There shall be no restrictions on takeaway and home delivery services,” the notification read.

Hotels, restaurants, food outlets, tandoors, grocery stores, kiryana stores, meat shops, vegetable vendors and bakeries will close by 10pm. Meanwhile, the notification also said that marriage halls, marquees and all other commercial places where festive events are held shall close at 10m throughout the week, which would also apply to events held at private premises.

“All sports facilities and clubs, including gymnasiums, shall be closed by 8pm,” it added.

Over the past month, the government has adopted a host of austerity measures in the wake of the global fuel crisis triggered by the US-Israel war on Iran.

On April 6, the federal government, in a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, decided that markets and shopping malls in the country, barring those in Sindh, would close by 8pm as part of energy conservation measures. Days later, Sindh had also notified timings for the early closure of businesses.