The opening time of markets and Shopping malls have been extended.
LAHORE: The Punjab government has extended the opening period of shopping malls and markets till Eid.
Punjab Commerce Minister Mian Aslam Iqbal formally announced the extension of business opening hours after the approval of Punjab Chief Minister Usman Bazdar.
Mian Iqbal Aslam said that now the working hours of shopping malls have been increased from 5 pm to 10 pm, bazaars and markets will also be able to do business till 10 pm till Eid.
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The Punjab Commerce Minister further said that shrines would also be opened across the province from tomorrow, adding that the said working hours would not apply to shrines.
It may be recalled that the federal government had on May 9 announced further relaxation of the partial lockdown imposed by the corona virus across the country, after which small businesses were allowed to open five days a week.
Subsequently, the Supreme Court of Pakistan, during the hearing of the Corona Suicide Note case, ordered that businesses be opened on weekends and Sundays as well as large shopping malls.
Now the Punjab government has also extended the duration of business till 10 pm. In all these cases, Sindh is the only province which has been consistently opposing the easing of lockdown. However, shopping malls have also been opened in Sindh on the orders of the Supreme Court.