Power Conservation and Traders
By Col. Riaz Jafri (Retd)
Westridge, Rawalpindi
Most of the shops and business centers in Pakistan, especially in the posh areas of the major cities, did not initially abide by the government instructions to close their businesses by 8 pm. Either they did not take the orders seriously or demonstrated sheer defiance to challenge the writ.
In either case, it is undesirable and must not be taken lightly by the government. The traders argued that closure at 8 pm will affect their businesses adversely as most people shop during the late hours. Ironically, this argument should have come from the shoppers as some of them work from 9 to 5 and would find little or no time for their shopping. However, in either case it was not tenable.
Firstly, it is mostly the ladies and the housewives who do most of the shopping for the family and even if the shops close down at 8 they will have all the time to shop. As for the working class it will have to find ways and means to shop by way of adjusting the commuting schedule.
Such a marketing push and pull will force all to adjust their timings soon and business will not suffer at all. After all, in more than three-fourth of the world, and in countries like the USA, Canada, Latin American states, Europe, Far East, Japan, Australia and the New Zealand all shops close before dusk. Why not in Pakistan?
Incidentally, early closures will have a salutary effect on society as people will spend their evenings with their families instead of loitering listlessly in the market places.
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