TAXILA, Sept 21: In a crackdown on profiteers and hoarders the local price control magistrates in Wah Cantonment and Hassanabdal fined as many as 39 shopkeepers and sent one behind bars for selling flour (Atta) at exorbitant rates.

During the ongoing crackdown, Price Control Magistrate Taxila-Wah Cantonment Circle Aqeel Ahmed Khan paid a surprise visit to various markets in Wah Cantonment and found one shopkeeper selling 20kg flour for Rs330.

The accused was sent behind bars for selling flour at high price. Three other shopkeepers in Wah Cantonment were also fined for overcharging.

Similarly, Price Control Magistrate Hassanabdal Hakim Sultan Fayyaz Kiyani also paid a surprise visit to various bazaars and markets of the city and fined 37 shopkeepers including butchers, vegetable, fruit and grocery sellers for profiteering and imposed a fine of Rs1,000 each on them.

This crackdown helped reduce prices of edible items to about two to three per cent.

—Correspondent