Islamabad (Web Desk): Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has given immediate approval to revised business closing hours across the country, introducing extended operating times for commercial activities during the summer season.
The decision was communicated through a notification issued by the Cabinet Division and later shared on X by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar.
The govt stated that the adjustment was made in response to longer daylight periods and the intense heat being experienced during the summer months.
— Ishaq Dar (@MIshaqDar50) June 3, 2026
According to the notification, markets, shopping centres, bazaars, departmental outlets, grocery stores, general retailers, and kiryana shops will now remain open until 9pm throughout the week.
Wedding venues, marquees, and other locations used for celebratory gatherings will be permitted to operate until 10pm.
Restaurants, cafés, food businesses, and standalone fruit and vegetable vendors will be allowed to continue operations until 11pm. However, takeaway and home delivery services will not be subject to these restrictions.
The revised schedule will not apply to several essential services. Pharmacies, medical equipment stores, laboratories, clinics, hospitals, bakeries, tandoors, dairy and milk outlets, fuel stations, electric vehicle charging facilities, fitness centres, sports venues, IT companies, and call centres have all been exempted from the closing-hour regulations.
The notification also advised provincial and regional administrations to implement the updated timings in their respective areas.
The announcement came a day after a meeting of the Committee for Monitoring and Implementation of Austerity Measures, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar.
During the session, the committee had already decided to extend the operating hours of shops, markets, shopping malls, and other retail businesses until 9pm because of the extended daylight and rising temperatures.
The latest development is linked to the government's broader austerity campaign launched on March 9 following the conflict in the Middle East, which triggered a global energy crisis after the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. On May 11, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif extended the nationwide cost-saving initiative until June 13.
Among the measures that remain in place is a 50 percent cut in fuel allocations for government vehicles, although operational services such as ambulances and public transport buses have been excluded from the reduction.
The austerity programme also continues to enforce the grounding of 60 percent of official vehicles and a complete prohibition on foreign travel by ministers and government officials, except for visits considered essential to safeguarding Pakistan’s national interests.