ISLAMABAD: The National Economic Council (NEC) on Tuesday decided to close markets countrywide by 8pm.
The decision was taken at a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and attended by the chief minister of Punjab, Sindh and KP, and planning minister of Balochistan.
Federal Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal said the council had taken the decision to conserve energy, adding that commercial centres would close at 8pm. He also advised use of green energy resources including LED bulbs.
All Pakistan Traders Union rejects government’s decision
All Pakistan Traders Union (APTU) president Ajmal Baloch said they could not close markets by 8pm in scorching summer. “Every government has registered a failed attempt to close markets by 8pm,” he added.
He went on to say that summer saw drop in sales, adding that shopping continued from 8pm to 11pm in summer. “Traders’ community is the most expensive buyer of electricity in the country,” he added.
APTU supreme council chairman Naeem Mir said this plan could not be materialised without taking all stakeholders into loop. “Provincial governments should first sit with traders,” he added.
He went on to say that traders’ community buys expensive electricity, asking that if the government would prefer inexpensive buyer to expensive buyer. “How will it affect circular debt,” he asked.
He asked if undeclared loadshedding would ensue. “How does the government plan to save traders from extortion,” he asked. If all stakeholders, he said, were not taken on board, Mr Iqbal’s announcement would hold no value.
