KARACHI: The city commissioner has informed the Sindh High Court (SHC) that various meetings have been held with retailers of milk, grocery, meat, poultry and other commodities in order to maintain the official price of various essential items.

The commissioner, in his comments, stated that directives had also been issued to the deputy commissioners (DCs) and other officials to enforce official prices of commodities and take strict legal action against profiteering.

A two-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi directed the commissioner and other respondents to enforce the official price of essential commodities.

At the previous hearing, the SHC had summoned the commissioner since he had failed to file comments in a petition filed against the sale of various essential commodities at exorbitant rates in the city.

At the outset of the hearing, an official appeared before the division bench and informed it that the commissioner could not turn up since he was busy before the Supreme Court and filed comments/compliance report on the behalf of the commissioner.

The commissioner in his report also stated that price magistrates had conducted raids in the districts of South, Korangi, Malir and Central during Ramazan and sealed 30 shops, imposed fines of Rs24,323,500 and lodged 2,153 cases.

The report also maintained that meetings were also held with the chairman of market committee Karachi, and chiefs of the middlemen associations of fruit/Sabzi Mandi and others so that supply of fruit and vegetables were ensured for its auction and availability in various parts of the city.

The chairmen of all such associations assured the commissioner that officially notified rates of essential commodities would be implemented in the markets, it stated.

Many DCs also submitted similar reports in respect of their districts.

It also ordered them to continue legal action against the violators under the relevant laws and submit further progress reports by April 30.

Citing the chief secretary of, director general of the bureau of supply & prices, commissioner Karachi, deputy commissioners and others as respondents, Advocate Shahmir Baloch submitted in his petition that the fruits, vegetables and other essential commodities were being sold in the market at much higher prices in violation of the official price list issued by the commissioner office during Ramazan.

He stated that despite such contraventions, the respondents had not been taking any action whatsoever against those unscrupulous persons.

He also placed on record the copies of price list and argued that the daily commodities were being sold at exorbitant rates, which required penal action and sought directives for the respondents to check the prices of such commodities and take necessary legal action.

It is also said in the petition that every year with the beginning of the holy month, the prices of essential commodities, including fruits, vegetables and pulses as well as edible foods, started swelling and rather become beyond the approach of most of the people in the absence of any proper mechanism to enforce official price list.

The petitioner further maintained that the authorities concerned appeared to be helpless instead of dealing such matter with iron hands to compel sellers to sale such commodities at official rates.

Published in Dawn, April 13th, 2024