• Hospitals, labs, clinics, pharmacies, petrol pumps exempted
• Marriage halls, marquees to close by 10pm
• Emergency rescue camp set up in E-11 to assist people in case of floods

ISLAMABAD/RAWALPINDI: The government has notified new timings for the closure of businesses in the twin cities to deal with power crisis.

According to a notification issued by the district administration of Islamabad, due to the hot weather, demand for electricity in the capital territory had increased manifold, subjecting critical infrastructures like hospitals and other establishments of public importance to extended loadshedding. Islamabad is facing severe outages because of the electricity shortage.

“There is an urgent need to take effective measures for the conservation of energy in the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) by doing business activities in daylight without imparting possible adverse effect on the business activities so that electricity remains available for critical establishments.

“In view of the decision taken by the federal cabinet on June 7, 2022, to take effective measures to reduce loadshedding hours through conservation of energy and to prevent and minimise the impacts of anticipated energy shortfall in Pakistan through implementation of a national strategy for tackling the energy crisis, it is necessary to enforce certain restrictions on nonessential businesses so that this prevalent emergency of the energy shortfall may be controlled in Islamabad,” it stated.

“In exercise of powers conferred under Section 144 CrPC 1898, it is directed that all shops (wholesale or retail), shopping malls, bakeries and confectionaries, offices, storerooms, godowns, warehouses or places of work whether in same premises or otherwise and cattle markets will be closed by 9pm,” said the notification.

Marriage halls, marquees, wedding ceremonies, including any exhibitory lighting for marriage functions inside or outside the premises and exhibition halls will be closed at 10pm.

All establishments (commercial or industrial), restaurants, clubs, tandoors, eateries, cafes, cinemas, theatres or other places of public amusement and public parks will be closed at 11:30pm.

Exceptions have been given to hospitals and laboratories, commercial ambulance service areas, medical clinics, pharmacies and medical stores (sale of medical and pharmaceutical goods only, all other stores, sections to remain closed/off), petrol pumps (only retail fuel services), tyre repair shops, service areas, bus stops, sabzi mandi in Islamabad and milk shops.

Meanwhile, as pre-monsoon rains have started, Deputy Commissioner Islamabad Irfan Nawaz Memon visited different areas, including Kurram Nullah, and established an emergency rescue camp in E-11, which was hit by floods last year.

He inspected construction of houses near nullahs and directed officials concerned to check if there was any violation of the Capital Development Authority (CDA)’s bylaws.

He also visited E-11, which was hit by floods last year, and directed to establish an emergency rescue camp and keep it open round the clock with arrangements to rescue people in case of an emergency.

The deputy commissioner also visited sports grounds and directed the director sports Municipal Corporation Islamabad (MCI) to facilitate players and provide them facilities.

Rawalpindi

The Punjab government has also asked traders to close their outlets by 9pm but shopkeepers in Rawalpindi expressed resentment over the decision.

According to a notification issued by the provincial government, markets, bazaars and business centres will be closed at 9pm while restaurants and marriage halls will remain open till 11:30pm and 10pm, respectively. The decision will not be applicable on medical stores and fuel stations.

On the other hand, the district administration on Sunday contacted the traders’ association to implement the new

timings and informed them that if they did not close their business centres by 9pm the government would start loadshedding in bazaars and markets from 7pm to 10pm.

Mohammad Nasir, a shopkeeper in Saddar, said it was difficult for the business community to close shops at 9pm as people mostly visited markets at night due to the hot weather.

Raja Taimoor, a shopkeeper in Raja Bazaar, said most shops in the main bazaar opened late in the morning and government should extend the timings to 10pm or 11pm.

“There is a need for some relaxation in this regard,” he said.

Malik Afsar, a trader in Moti Bazaar, said people mostly visited bazaars in the evening and at night ahead of Eidul Azha and it would be difficult for them to close shops at 9pm.

When contacted, Malik Shahid Ghafoor Paracha, the president of Rawalpindi Traders Association, said that shopkeepers in all markets, bazaars and plazas would close by 9pm from Monday.

“At a meeting with Chief Minister Hamza Shehbaz in Lahore, we demanded that the closure timing should be 10pm but the government asked us to help the nation overcome the electricity crisis and close the shops by 9pm otherwise the government had an option to start power shutdown in commercial areas from 7pm to 10pm,” he said.

He said the association had informed all traders to close down markets by 9pm, adding that for the first time the government will close markets and bazaars in twin cities at the same time which was acceptable for the traders of the garrison city.

Cantonment Traders Association General Secretary Zafar Qadri said shops in Saddar closed by 10 pm in routine but after the government’s request, the markets would close by 9pm.

“Upon the demand of shopkeepers, the association requested the government to close pharmacies-cum-grocery stores by 9pm also. Chemist shops which had no other items like clothes, jewellery, grocery items will be allowed to open shops,” he said.

He said if such grocery stores-cum-pharmacies will not close by 9pm, we will contact the commissioner on Monday night.

Published in Dawn, June 20th, 2022