Islamabad revises business closing hours, adds bakeries and sports facilities to curbs

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad administration on Thursday issued a revised notification on business closing hours, expanding the restrictions to include bakeries as well as sports facilities.

The amended order was issued through the office of Islamabad Deputy Commissioner Irfan Nawaz Memon and made partial changes to an earlier directive dated April 6.

Under the fresh notification, which takes effect from April 16, all shops, markets and shopping malls in the federal capital will be required to close at 8pm throughout the week.

The order, however, exempts pharmacies, medical supply stores, medical laboratories, hospitals, petrol pumps, CNG stations, and milk and dairy shops from the restrictions.

“There shall be no restrictions on takeaway and home delivery services”, the notification said.

It further stated that hotels, restaurants, food outlets, tandoors, grocery stores, kiryana stores, meat shops, vegetable vendors and bakeries will be allowed to remain open until 10pm.

According to the revised instructions, bakeries have specifically been directed to close at 10pm, while sports facilities, including clubs and gymnasiums, must shut by 8pm.

The notification also said that marriage halls, marquees and other commercial venues used for festive events will close at 10pm throughout the week. The same timing will also apply to events taking place at private premises.

“All sports facilities and clubs, including gymnasiums, shall be closed by 8pm”, the notification added.

Part of wider energy conservation measures

The revised timings come as the government has introduced a series of austerity steps over the past month in response to the global fuel crisis triggered by the US-Israel war on Iran.

On April 6, the federal government, during a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, decided that markets and shopping malls across the country, except those in Sindh, would close by 8pm as part of energy conservation measures.

Days later, Sindh also issued its own notification setting early closing hours for businesses.

The latest order from the Islamabad administration slightly modifies the earlier April 6 notification by clearly setting separate closing times for bakeries and for sports-related facilities, while retaining exemptions for essential health and fuel services and allowing takeaway and home delivery operations to continue without restriction.

The notification makes clear that the new timings will apply throughout the week across the capital.