There is no concrete evidence, nor a study to confirm that Daylight Saving Time (DST) really conserves energy to any significant extent. Two of the most efficient countries in the worldSingapore & Chinaabandoned DST in the early 90s. The method is not very encouraging either for countries with high temperatures. The State of Queensland in Australia did not approve implementation of the DST due to extreme weather conditions. In Pakistan, it was adopted first in the year 2002 and yielded no desired results. Last two years experience suggests something; we asked our private businesses and markets to advance their working timings by an hour. Those who started work at 9 a.m. changed their timings to 10 a.m. Similarly markets & shops closure timings were also changed. But there is the important aspect of the Namaz timings. For example in banks on Friday, there is a lunch/prayer break of 2 hours i.e. 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Due to DST, the Friday prayers start at 2 p.m. and can be offered till 4 p.m. But during DST, there is effectively a 3 hours break i.e. 1 a.m. to 4 p.m. Another factor to be considered is public health. There is sufficient credence to the theory DST can cause problems in of health in high temperatures. An example of this can be seen in offices where people do not leave the offices till 6 p.m. due to severe sunlight outside. In other words instead of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., the offices end up consuming energy from 9 a.m. to 6 a.m. There are a number of organizations, especially among the multinational, corporate sector of this country, that observe two weekly holidays i.e. Saturday & Sunday. A still better course of action is to have the markets closed in the week from Monday to Thursday at 8 PM. On Friday, have a weekly off and then allow markets to open on Saturday & Sunday till 10.00 p.m. at night. Markets should also be encouraged to stop using excessive illumination, especially in daytime. -ANJUM AMIN SIDDIQUI, Lahore, March 27.