KARACHI: The Sindh government is set to issue on Monday a formal notification for the closure of wedding halls by 10pm, while a decision on the early closure of shops and markets would be taken after consultation on the proposal with the trade community, it emerged on Sunday.

Officials in the provincial government said the labour and local government ministries of the Sindh government would issue two separate notifications for the closure of marriage halls by 10am. They said the order would also carry a ban on the serving more than two dishes at wedding parties.

Sources in the Sindh government said no deadline had been shared with the media for the implementation of the government proposal for the closure of shops and markets by 7pm across the province, Karachi in particular.

They said the government had asked the Karachi commissioner to hold meetings with the stakeholders in the trade and business community to sort out the issue aptly.

`The government`s proposal is 7pm for the closure of the business activity, however, a final decision will be taken after the commissioner submits his report to the chief minister,` said an official in the Sindh government.

Officials said Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah had issued a deadline for the wedding halls and it was not meant for the market closures. Traders` associations, administrations of shopping malls and businessmen would be taken into confidence first, said an of ficial.

All Karachi Tajir Ittehad president Atig Mir earlier said the traders would resist the government`s decision if it was impose d unilaterally.

Business community cites `traditions of Karachi` according to which markets do not open before 12noon; thus, `It is impossible to close shops by 7pm.