Pakistan plans to shut malls, markets early in a bid to save power

Pakistan’s government has ordered all malls and markets to close by 8.30 pm among other measures in a new energy conservation plan, the defence minister said on Tuesday, as the country grapples with an economic crisis.
 

Pakistan’s foreign exchange reserves barely cover a month’s worth of imports, most of which are accounted for by energy purchases from abroad, with funds expected under an International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme having been delayed.
 

Khawaja Asif told journalists the Cabinet-approved measures to shut markets, including restaurants, aimed to save the cash-strapped country about 62 billion Pakistani rupees ($273 million).
 

He said additional immediate