Staff Report
KARACHI: The government’s decision to close markets and wedding venues early as part of an energy conservation plan has been rejected by Karachi’s business community.
The early closing of markets and other public spaces at 8:00 p.m. as part of the government’s energy conservation plan drew mixed reactions from the traders. Many business owners in Karachi disagreed with the government’s decision and dubbed the early closure of markets and wedding venues “economic murder” of the business community.
Rizwan Irfan, president of the Electronic Dealers Association, advised the government against making any decisions without consulting the traders. He continued by saying that the threat of gas and electricity load shedding is already a concern for Karachiites.
He asserted that the traders would oppose the forced implementation of such decisions. He disagreed with the announcement that markets would close at 8:00 p.m. According to the president of Anjuman-e-Tajiran Sindh, Javed Qureshi, all of the traders have rejected the decision made by the federal government.
Faizan Rawat, president of the Karachi Restaurants Association, stated that they disagreed with the decision to close the restaurants at 10:00 p.m. because the hotel industry already begins operations at 8:00 p.m. He argued that eateries should be allowed to stay open until 11:00 p.m. and continue to offer takeout and food delivery over the internet.
According to Ilyas Memon, president of Traders Anjuman-i-Tajiran Karachi, this decision will worsen the economic situation and amounts to the economic murder of thousands of families. He insisted that the federal government reconsider its choice.
The Caterers and Decorators Association president, Qais Mansoor Sheikh, also disagreed with the government’s proposal to close restaurants and wedding venues early. He asserted that both the provision of electricity and the payment of its costs fall under the purview of the government.
Rana Raees, president of the Marriage Halls Association, criticized the federal government’s choice and referred to it as careless. He pushed for the right to keep wedding venues open until midnight. Abdul Rauf Ibrahim, chairman of the Wholesale Grossers Association, endorsed the federal government’s choice and claimed it was necessary at the time. He applauded the move made by the federal government to address the energy crisis.
Government energy conservation plan
In accordance with a federal energy conservation plan, all businesses, including restaurants, will close at 8:00 p.m. Defense Minister Khawaja Asif, speaking at a press conference with other federal ministers to inform the media about the decisions made in the cabinet meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in the chair, announced that “all markets and shopping malls will be closed by 8:00 p.m. across the country.
However, he stated that the restaurant hours might be increased by an hour. The federal minister continued by announcing that all wedding halls would close at 10:00 p.m. Pakistan would save between 8,000 and 9,000 megawatts of electricity and Rs62 billion annually because of the decision.
According to Khawaja Asif, markets in other parts of the world close at 6:00 p.m., but they stay open until after midnight in Pakistan. The federal minister added that the government would consult with all four provinces before making energy-related decisions and that the final plan would be unveiled by Thursday. Asif added that the government was considering implementing e-bikes. The government is also phasing out gasoline-powered bikes by introducing e-bikes.
