KARACHI: Sindh Senior Minister Sharjeel Memon announced Saturday that the provincial government has lifted fixed closing times for shops, markets, malls, hotels, restaurants, wedding halls and marquees, a move he said would facilitate businesses and citizens.
The exemption rescinds a 9 p.m. closing time imposed last month, according to a notification Memon shared on the social media platform X.
The Government of Sindh has exempted shops, markets, malls, hotels, restaurants, wedding halls and marquees from fixed closing timings to facilitate businesses and citizens.
This decision reflects our commitment to economic growth, public convenience, and support for the… pic.twitter.com/RQwgsblAQJ— Sharjeel Inam Memon (@sharjeelinam) May 16, 2026
“This decision reflects our commitment to economic growth, public convenience, and support for the business community, which remains the backbone of our economy,” Memon said.
The Sindh government had previously ordered all shops, markets and shopping malls in Karachi and other divisional headquarters to close at 9 p.m. seven days a week as part of austerity measures linked to the Middle East conflict and a global oil crisis.
On April 6, the federal government directed markets across the country, excluding Sindh, to close by 8 p.m. weekly for energy conservation amid a global fuel crisis triggered by the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran.
Saturday’s development came one day after the Punjab government granted partial relief, lifting market timing restrictions until June 1 following protests from traders and appeals from the shopping malls association and the public to revise the 8 p.m. closure rule.
