KARACHI – Pakistani actor Nauman Masood shared an emotional video warning about the devastating impact of early market and restaurant closing policies in Pakistan, revealing how the crisis is not only affecting businesses but also pushing workers and owners into severe financial distress, including his own restaurant Khaaba by Nauman Masood.
In viral video, Masood said he normally shares uplifting content, but felt compelled to speak out due to what he described as a deepening crisis in Pakistani restaurant sector. He explained that for the past two months, restaurants have been under intense pressure amid soaring inflation, rising fuel costs, and worsening economic instability. According to him, the timing restrictions have made matters even worse, especially in a country where families typically go out later in the evening during the summer season.
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Pakistan has limited family entertainment options, with restaurants and coffee shops being the primary venues for social activity. However, with early closures now enforced, customer turnout has dropped sharply, leaving both small and large establishments struggling to survive, he added.
Nauman also highlighted human cost behind the crisis, saying that restaurant owners are now barely able to pay staff salaries. Employees, he said, are equally anxious as job security weakens and income stability disappears. What once were manageable business challenges, he added, have now turned into daily survival struggles.
On a broader scale, the early closing policy, introduced to cut electricity consumption, ease peak-hour load on the power grid, and promote energy conservation—has reportedly triggered major disruption across the formal retail sector. Industry estimates suggest a dramatic 25–30% collapse in sales across nearly 35,000 outlets nationwide.
The economic fallout is also being linked to an estimated weekly loss of around Rs100 billion in recorded economic activity. This downturn has reportedly led to shrinking wages, layoffs in second shifts, and increasing pressure on approximately 13,000 POS-integrated businesses.
Business owners raised serious concerns over the policy’s effectiveness, arguing that instead of stabilizing the economy, the restrictions are eroding tax revenues from sales and income while simultaneously pushing more trade into undocumented and informal channels.
Rs100 Billion Weekly Wipeout as Early Market Closure dent Pakistan retail market
