The federal government has officially relaxed restrictions on business operating hours, allowing markets and a wide range of business sectors to remain open seven days a week until May 31.
According to a notification issued by the Cabinet Division on May 18, 2026, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has exempted several categories of businesses from the closure timings imposed earlier under a notification dated April 6, 2026.
The relaxation applies with immediate effect and will remain in force through May 31, 2026.
Under the new decision, all shops, departmental stores, bazaars, markets, and shopping malls have been exempted from the previously notified closure timings on all days of the week. The same exemption has also been granted to bakeries, tandoors, restaurants, and grocery stores.
The move effectively gives these businesses permission to operate more freely throughout the week, with the government removing the time restrictions that had earlier been placed on commercial activity.
The official notification confirms that the decision was approved by the prime minister and will be published in the Gazette of Pakistan Extraordinary. It was issued by the Cabinet Division and signed by Joint Secretary (Cabinet) Waqas Ahmed Bajwa.
