Shopkeepers Worried About Impact Of 'Smart Lockdown' Over Fuel Price Rises
Pakistan’s federal government has ordered markets and shopping malls to close in the country by 8:00 p.m., as a fuel crisis deepens in the region. Shopkeepers have demanded some easing of the restrictions during shopping hours. Bilal Mustafa, a shopkeeper, told The Associated Press “the government should not order closure of shop at 8:00 p.m., but it should be extended to 10:00 p.m.” The Pakistani government had reviewed fuel and energy-conservation measures amid the US-Israel war on Iran. Pand diesel prices in Pakistan rose by 50% due to the war and closure of the key Strait of Hormuz waterway.
