The federal government has exempted all markets, bazaars, and shopping malls nationwide from business hours restrictions until 31 May 2025, effective immediately.
The Cabinet Division issued an official notification stating that all shops, markets, and shopping malls in the federal capital are temporarily free from operating hour limitations.
Prime Minister’s approval was cited as the basis for this decision, which aims to facilitate greater commercial activity and support businesses across the country.
Bakeries, tandoors, restaurants, and grocery stores are also included in this exemption, allowing them to operate beyond previously enforced business hour restrictions.
Under the notification, all markets and commercial centres in Islamabad will remain open 7 days a week without any restriction on their hours of operation.
On April 6, the federal government announced market closures by 8pm, excluding Sindh, as part of energy conservation measures during a global fuel crisis then unfolding.
Closure timings for wedding halls, bakeries, restaurants, tandoors and other eateries were set at 10pm under the same conservation policy introduced days earlier by federal authorities across regions.
On April 10, the Sindh government ordered shops, markets and malls in Karachi and other divisional headquarters to close at 9pm throughout the week following similar federal measures.
However, standalone tandoors, milk and dairy shops, bakeries, medical stores, pharmacies, laboratories, clinics, hospitals, and fuel stations were exempted from these closure timing restrictions under official notifications later.
Hotels, restaurants and food outlets could operate from 7pm to 11:30pm, while marriage halls and banquets were permitted from 8pm until midnight across the province for dinner events.
Last week, Sindh, Punjab, Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa lifted restrictions, with Punjab responding to protests, granting relief on May 15 and suspending timing limits until June 1, 2026.
