KARACHI, Nov 2: Governor, Dr Ishratul Ibad has held out the assurance that the government would not be budge by pressure and blackmailing tactics on the part of profiteers.

Talking to people gathered around him during his surprise visit to Gole Market, Nazimabad, Hyderi and the bazaars in different blocks of North Nazimabad and Gulshan-i-Iqbal on Sunday, the governor declared that the administration would not succumb to unjustifiable demands from any group of retailers.

On the occasion, citizens apprised the governor of the hardship, particularly with regard to exorbitant meat prices, and urged him to ensure that no price-hike in the already expensive meat of all categories was allowed.

The governor personally tallied price lists with the rates being charged by sellers of different items in the markets.

He appealed to the citizens to cooperate with the administration in its ongoing campaign against profiteering and overcharging.

He directing the concerned officials to deal strictly with that those found indulged in defying the notified price lists. He stressed that the culprits be booked and penalized.

Dr Ibad also directed the DIG (Operations), Tariq Jamil, to extend full cooperation to the city administration in its efforts to ensure compliance by retailers with rules and regulations pertaining to the price control.

The people urged the governor not to bow to the pressure tactics by traders who would resort to strike for the acceptance of their unfair demands. They assured him that they would prefer not to opt for the goods offered at prices higher than the notified rates.

The governor took round the markets, roads and streets on foot to ascertain hygienic conditions there.

People of the localities informed him about their problems which ranged from civic and sanitation conditions to the House Building and Finance Corporation loans and investment scam involving fake finance companies.

The governor assured them that he would do his utmost to get their problems resolved. He issued directives for the repair of roads and streets identified by the people as being in a dilapidated condition.—APP