Govt extends austerity measures until June 30, allows grocery stores to stay open until 10 pm 

The federal government has extended additional fuel conservation and austerity measures due to expire on June 13 until June 30, while allowing standalone grocery and kiryana stores to remain open until 10 pm throughout the week.

The decisions were taken at a meeting of the Committee for Monitoring and Implementation of Fuel Conservation and Additional Austerity Measures, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar on Wednesday.

The revised closing time for standalone grocery and kiryana stores will apply on weekdays as well as Saturdays and Sundays.

Earlier in June, the government relaxed business closing hours under revised energy conservation measures because of rising temperatures and longer summer days.

Under the changes announced on June 3, shops, markets and shopping malls were permitted to operate until 9 pm, while restaurants and food outlets were allowed to remain open until 11 pm. Marriage halls and marquees were given a closing time of 10 pm.

The federal government initially introduced the conservation measures in March across Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, Islamabad, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir to reduce fuel consumption and energy costs.

The measures included earlier closing hours for markets and commercial centres, an additional weekly holiday for government offices, reductions in free fuel allocations for ministers and restrictions on official vehicle use.

The restrictions were temporarily relaxed before Eid but reinstated from April 1 as the government sought to manage fuel supply pressures.

The government also increased petroleum prices several times, with the largest increases recorded in April. Officials attributed the adjustments to higher international oil prices and the need to maintain uninterrupted fuel supplies.