Markets lockdown on Sunday is announced as businesses will remain closed on Sunday in a bid to conserve energy and reduce power load-shedding.
The Punjab government has decided to impose a markets lockdown on all business activities, except emergency and essential services, on Sundays.
On Tuesday, Omer Sher Chatha, Lahore Deputy Commissioner, issued a notification stating that “Sunday will be observed as markets lockdown for all commercial markets, plazas, shops (wholesale and retail), shopping malls, bakeries, confectionaries, offices, store rooms, warehouses, etc. in the district of Lahore.”
The notification emphasizes that the business and trade communities will be informed about the latest decision. The local administration issued the notification after seeking a clarification from the Punjab Labour and Human Resource Department.
Earlier on Monday, the Lahore deputy commissioner issued a notification imposing a restriction to close all markets, shopping malls and business centers at 9:00pm except on Saturdays.
Pharmacies, hospitals, laboratories, milk shops, petrol pumps, motorway service areas and tire repair shops are excluded from the restrictions.
The district administration has also constituted special teams, comprising of Metropolitan Corporation Lahore (MCL) and other agencies’ officials, to close all commercial activities in the city at the notified time.
Local administration and police teams remained active in markets to ensure strict implementation of the government decision from Monday.
Deputy Commissioner Chatha has appealed to citizens to cooperate with the district administration and close their businesses at the notified time to avoid legal action.
All Pakistan Anjuman Tajiran general secretary Abdul Razaq Babbar said the trading community has no reservation about the closure of businesses on Sunday as one weekly holiday should be observed.
However, he indicated that such restrictions would encourage corruption as it had been alleged that police officials received bribes from traders and shopkeepers and allowed them to open their businesses during the coronavirus lockdowns.
However, a trader, Muhammad Asif, pointed out that small shops in neighbourhoods and streets remain in business on Sunday for some hours. “We have better sales on Saturday and Sunday as most offices are closed and people get their other works done,” he added.
After the Sindh government, the Punjab government is also set to close down businesses early in a bid to conserve electricity to save the country from going deep into electricity crisis, however, a notification of the decision was not issued till the filing of this report.
