THIS refers to the black marketing of batteries in Islamabad. The largest battery shop in Melody, Islamabad, is selling batteries in black market, charging much more than the retail price printed on the box.

When I pointed it out to the salesman, he first hesitated but then took me to the shop owner who was in another room. The owner tried to justify the extra amount, saying how difficult it was to get batteries, and then the freight he had to pay from the factory in Karachi to Islamabad.

Shortly after that, a gentleman showed up in the shop. The owner introduced him as the general manager of a battery manufacturing company. He told me that the company delivered the batteries to the shop at controlled rates. But then the factory had no control over how much the vendor charged a customer.

So evidently the big shop is involved in selling batteries in black market. Will the authorities concerned intervene and do something in this regard?

Parvaiz Naim
Islamabad

Published in Dawn, September 24th, 2020