LAHORE: Pakistan’s top retail body has urged the federal government to lock in a permanent 10pm nationwide store closing time, warning that any reversal to earlier restrictions risks triggering hundreds of billions of rupees in new economic losses.
The Chainstore Association of Pakistan (CAP) has formally appealed to the prime minister and the federal cabinet to establish a permanent 10pm retail framework before a temporary Eid-ul-Azha exemption runs out. The association argues that a previous 8pm curfew-style restriction caused approximately Rs500 billion in economic disruptions and cost the Federal Board of Revenue an estimated Rs20 billion in lost tax revenues in its opening weeks alone.
The CAP said the damage extended well beyond shop floors, rippling across manufacturers, logistics firms, transport operators and more than one million workers tied to the retail supply chain nationwide. The sector contributed PKR 1,017.8 billion in taxes during the last fiscal year, the association noted underscoring its weight in the national economy.
While welcoming the temporary reprieve granted ahead of Eid-ul-Azha, the CAP cautioned that the brief relaxation merely reversed weeks of disruption to commercial activity and consumer confidence, problems it says will return unless a permanent policy is set.
The association also challenged the government’s underlying rationale, questioning whether the energy savings achieved through early closures were proportionate to the economic costs imposed on Pakistan’s documented retail sector.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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