PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court on Thursday directed the federal and provincial food authorities to make a joint strategy to check increasing prices of essential commodities, especially edible ones, and hoarding, and ensure their availability on the market.

A bench consisting of Chief Justice Qaiser Rashid Khan and Justice Syed M Attique Shah observed that the prices of essential edible items had gone out of the people’s reach in the current month of Ramazan, so the relevant authorities should take immediate steps to check them.

It also directed the district administrations to ensure the availability of essential items in sasta bazaars.

The chief justice observed that the court would issue directives to the district judiciary not to grant bail to profiteers and hoarders.

Adviser to the chief minister on food Khaliqur Rehman Khattak, additional secretary of the federal food security ministry, provincial food secretary Khushal Khan, Peshawar deputy commissioner retired Captain Khalid Mehmood, provincial advocate general Shumail Ahmad Butt, additional advocate general Syed Sikandar Hayat Shah and other officials turned up and expressed their viewpoints on the issue.

The officials highlighted the steps taken by them for checking price hike and ensuring the availability of essential commodities on the market.

The bench was hearing a case about profiteering and hoarding, whose notice was taken by it lately.

Asks district admins to ensure availability of essential items in sasta bazaars

The chief justice hailed a Sikh shopkeeper in Khyber tribal district for announcing that he won’t earn any profit on essential commodities in the month of Ramazan.

He observed that if a non-Muslim could act in such a manner and showed respect for the Islamic month of fasting, why Muslims couldn’t follow suit.

The bench directed the Khyber deputy commissioner to see the Sikh shopkeeper to encourage him and motivate others to follow in his footsteps.

The chief justice also expressed surprise at the export of the essential goods, which are in short supply on the local market and wondered how such items could be exported.

Food secretary Khushal Khan told the bench that his department had been actively looking into the matter and had taken action against those involved in artificial price hike and hoarding.

He said officials of the department had so far inspected 3,400 shops, imposed Rs1.1 million fine on profiteers and hoarders, and arrested 17 shopkeepers.

The secretary said the prices of poultry products had increased due to low production.

Advocate general Shumail Butt said 27 profiteers were arrested on Wednesday.

He said sugar was sold for Rs96 per kg on the open market.

Deputy commissioner Khalid Mehmood highlighted the measures taken by the administration and said the administrative officers were in the field and regularly inspected shops to ensure availability of essential goods at the rates fixed by the administration.

He said in the last couple of days, Rs1 million fine was imposed on those involved in artificial price hike.

The DC said the weekend holidays of officials had been cancelled during Ramazan to ensure speedy action on the people’s complaints.

He said sasta bazaars have been set up in the entire province including Peshawar.

He added that the district administration had increased the monitoring of bazaars as the people thronged them.

The chief justice observed that the people struggled to manage things due to the surging prices of essential items, so the government should address their misery in the current month of fasting.

He added that currently, even people from the middle class were struggling to purchase essential commodities.

The bench directed the federal and provincial governments to jointly evolve a strategy on the matter and produce a report on the hearing to be fixed later.

Published in Dawn, April 23rd, 2021