LAHORE – The Punjab government has decided to impose a complete lockdown on business activities in the provincial capital on Sundays.
The move comes amid the rising power tarriff and fuel prices in the country and the increasing gap between the power demand and supply.
Keeping in view the aggravaiting energy crisis in the country, the government is taking extreme measures to bring the sitaution under control, but to no avail so far. However, emergency and essential services will remain open during the Sunday ‘lockdown’.
“Sunday will be observed as a closed day for all commercial markets, plazas, shops including those of wholesale and retail, shopping malls, bakeries, confectionaries, offices, store rooms, godowns, warehouses, etc. in Lahore,” reads a notification issued by Deputy Commissioner of Lahore Omer Sher Chatha.
According to the notification, the business and trade community will be informed about the latest decision. The administration has issued the notification in consultation with the Punjab Labour and Human Resource Department.
Reacting to the development, All Pakistan Anjuman Tajiran General Secretary Abdul Razaq Babbar said the business community had no concern about the closure of businesses on Sundays.
Trader Muhammad Asif said that small shops in neighbourhoods and streets remain open even on Sundays. “We achieve better sales during Saturday and Sunday as most offices are closed and people head to shops,” he added.
A day earlier, the Lahore deputy commissioner issued a notification, ordering closure of all markets, shopping malls and business centres by 9pm, except for Saturdays.
Medical stores and pharmacies, hospitals, laboratories, milk shops, petrol pumps, motorway service areas and tire repair shops are exempted from the restrictions.
