What are the new restrictions on businesses?
Pakistan: The federal government has introduced austerity and fuel conservation measures in Islamabad, ordering shops, markets, shopping malls, bazaars and departmental stores to close by 9pm, according to a notification issued on Thursday.
Marriage halls and marquees will close by 10pm, while restaurants, cafés and eateries must close by 11pm, with takeaway and home delivery services exempt. Marriage functions will also be restricted to serving a single dish.
Pharmacies, hospitals, clinics, medical laboratories, bakeries, tandoors, dairy shops, fuel stations, EV charging stations, gyms, sports facilities, IT companies and call centres are exempt from the closing-time restrictions.
What measures has the government imposed on official spending?
The government has reduced official vehicle fuel allocations by 50% for three months and banned the purchase of government vehicles and durable goods, with exemptions for IT procurements and development projects.
Foreign travel by government officials has also been banned for three months, subject to limited exceptions for scholarships and certain training programmes. Where travel is unavoidable, senior government officials will be required to travel in economy class.
The government has further ordered a 5% reduction in non-essential recurring expenditure for fiscal year 2026-27 and directed departments to preferably hold meetings through teleconferencing. Official seminars, trainings and conferences funded by the government have also been prohibited, except where unavoidable and held at government venues.