Punjab has also decided to follow suit like Sindh to enforce an energy conservation plan to address the power crisis, sources said on Saturday. The authorities have completed consultations with trader’s bodies and chambers of commerce, informed sources said. The implementation of the energy saving plan will begin next week, according to sources. According to sources, markets in Punjab will open early in the morning and close by 9:00pm. Pharmacies, bakeries and petrol pumps will be exempted from timing restrictions. The authorities are also mulling over an early closure of restaurants and hotels. The energy saving plan will come into force in the first phase for a period of two months. The matter will be considered again after months of July and August, sources said.“We are on board with the government over the national interest decision,” President Lahore Chamber of Commerce Noman Kabeer has stated.

“The energy conservation plan will save electricity and petroleum,” he said. “Presently, it is the national duty to save petrol and electricity,” he said while advising the general public to ensure minimum use of electricity. It is to be mentioned here that the Sindh government on Friday announced the closure of all markets including shopping malls by 9:00 pm across the province to conserve electricity amid a crippling power crisis faced by the country. According to a notification, markets will be closed by 9:00pm, marriage halls at 10.30pm and restaurants at 11:00pm. “All markets, shopping malls and shops shall be closed by 9pm,” the notification read. Milk shops, bakeries and carriage vehicles for dairy products have been exempted from timing restrictions. The order comes into force with immediate effect and will remain in force for a period of one month, it added. 

Credit:
Independent News Pakistan-INP