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Shahbaz Sharif

Early market closures announced nationwide except Sindh from April 7

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Early market

ISLAMABAD: In a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif on petroleum products, the government has decided to enforce early closing hours for markets, shopping malls, and commercial centers across the country, excluding Sindh.

According to an official statement from the Prime Minister’s Office, shops dealing in daily-use items, departmental stores, and malls will close by 8:00 PM.

Bakeries, restaurants, tandoors, and food outlets will remain open until 10:00 PM, while marriage halls and marquees will also be required to shut after 10:00 PM.

The directive further includes a ban on wedding and other events at private residences after 10:00 PM. However, medical stores and pharmacies will remain exempt from these restrictions.

The new measures will take effect from April 7 and will be implemented in Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Islamabad, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Azad Kashmir.

In divisional headquarters of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, markets and shopping malls will be allowed to remain open until 9:00 PM.

Officials noted that consultations are still ongoing in Sindh regarding market timings, and a final decision is yet to be made for the province.

Pakistan-China ties will remain unshakable, says Prime Minister

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Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif on Thursday reaffirmed Pakistan’s steadfast commitment to its “One-China” policy and stated that Pakistan-China relations will remain unshakable under all circumstances during a meeting with Sun Haiyan, Deputy Minister of the International Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC).

According to an official statement from the Prime Minister’s Office, Sun Haiyan visited Prime Minister House in Islamabad, where she was warmly welcomed by PM Sharif. The Prime Minister noted that the visit comes at a significant time as Pakistan and China celebrate the 75th anniversary of their diplomatic relations.

PM Sharif highlighted a series of recent high-level engagements, including the successful visit of Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister to Beijing, the Interior Minister’s visit to Shanghai, and the upcoming visit of the National Assembly Speaker to China.

Extending best wishes to President Xi Jinping and the Chinese leadership, PM Sharif emphasized the “steel-strong strategic partnership” between the two countries. He praised China’s generous support for Pakistan, particularly under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), and stressed the importance of timely and effective implementation of the next phase of CPEC projects.

The Prime Minister also reiterated an official invitation to President Xi Jinping to visit Pakistan this year, underlining the year’s special significance as a historic milestone in bilateral relations.

Deputy Minister Sun Haiyan thanked the Prime Minister and reaffirmed China’s commitment to further strengthening its long-standing, tested relations with Pakistan across all sectors.

She commended PM Sharif’s efforts to ensure economic and political stability in Pakistan and stated that the Chinese people take pride in Pakistan’s diplomatic achievements.

Sun Haiyan also highlighted the CPC’s strong ties with Pakistan’s political parties, emphasizing the importance of inter-party engagement to further deepen cooperation between the two nations.

PM Shahbaz orders high-loss electricity feeders to shift to solar energy

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PM Shahbaz orders

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif has directed that high-loss electricity feeders be transitioned to solar energy, aiming to reduce losses and ensure a reliable power supply.

During a review meeting on ongoing reforms in the energy sector, the Prime Minister emphasized that feeders with higher losses should be converted to solar power with the support of provincial governments. He noted that this initiative would decrease financial losses and provide continuous electricity to affected areas.

The Prime Minister also instructed that pilot projects be launched immediately in high-loss feeders under PESCO and K-Electric (KESCO).

In addition, Prime Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif has instructed all relevant authorities to prepare a more effective and beneficial Ramadan package, surpassing last year’s efforts.

During a review meeting on third-party validation of the proposed federal government Ramadan package and last year’s package, PM Shahbaz Sharif praised the report issued by an independent audit agency for confirming the transparency of last year’s initiative.

Speaking at the meeting, the Prime Minister said that the government had established a transparent system to provide essential food items at subsidized rates to low-income citizens through the Ramadan package.

He noted that the decades-old utility stores system, which had been prone to financial irregularities, mismanagement, and exploitation of the poor, had been replaced with a fully transparent mechanism under the federal government.