KARACHI: In response to a federal government energy conservation plan, Commissioner Karachi Iqbal Memon on Saturday gave orders to all municipal deputy commissioners to ensure that markets and commercial centres in the city were closed by 8:30 p.m.
In this regard, Mr. Memon wrote to all the deputy commissioners (DCs). On the other side, he instructed the DCs to make sure that restaurants and wedding halls closed by 10 p.m.
The central government had already given the Sindh government instructions to implement the energy saving plan. In a letter to Sindh Chief Minister (CM) Murad Ali Shah, the Ministry for Inter-provincial Coordination pleaded with the Sindh government to carry out the plan.
All DCs were required under the directive to guarantee adherence to the directive and the commissioner’s directions to deliver a report on the implementation.
The federal government gave its approval to the energy-saving strategy a month ago.
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif announced that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had instructed to reduce the electricity use of all public ministries by 30%. He was joined by Ministers Sherry Rehman, Khurrum Dastgir, and Marriyum Aurangzeb. Mr. Asif claims that as a symbolic gesture, the federal cabinet meeting was also conducted without any electricity. The country, which is experiencing financial hardship and declining foreign exchange reserves, could benefit from the steps to the tune of Rs 62 billion, he hoped.
