The federal and provincial governments in Pakistan have agreed to close markets by 8pm nationwide as part of efforts to save energy, according to Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal. This decision was made during a meeting of the National Economic Council chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Islamabad. The meeting was attended by chief ministers from Sindh, Punjab, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, along with the planning minister of Balochistan.
The initiative to close markets earlier could result in saving approximately $1 billion annually. The provincial representatives at the meeting have been advised to implement this measure to conserve precious resources. Energy conservation has become a significant challenge for Pakistan, and the government aims to reduce reliance on fossil fuels and imported oil while emphasizing energy conservation. The government plans to promote green energy sources like solar, hydropower, and wind, and no new projects based on imported fuels will be introduced.
In January of this year, the federal government had approved an energy conservation plan, which included closing markets and malls by 8:30pm and banning the use of inefficient appliances, with the goal of saving around Rs62 billion annually. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had instructed all federal government departments to reduce their electricity usage by 30%. Despite these measures, their full implementation has not been achieved throughout the country.
