Pakistan's government has ordered all malls and markets to close by 8:30 p.m. among other measures in a new energy conservation plan, the defense minister said on January 3. The news comes as Islamabad grapples with an economic crisis. The country's foreign exchange reserve levels barely cover a month's worth of imports, most of which are accounted for by energy purchases from abroad, and funds expected under an International Monetary Fund program have been delayed. Khawaja Asif told journalists that measures approved by the cabinet aim to save the cash-strapped country about 62 billion Pakistani rupees ($273.4 million). To read the original story by Reuters, click here.
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