LAHORE: Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has said the Punjab Enforcement and Regulatory Authority (PERA) will eliminate inflation, hoarding and encroachments across Punjab.

She was addressing the launching ceremony of the PERA here on Monday. “Implementation of the law through PERA will begin a new era in Punjab,” she said.

It will become fully operational in Lahore division from next week and across the province by December.

“People buy a piece of land with their lifetime earnings and they need to be protected from the land grabber mafia. Every official of the PERA will become a protector of the oppressed and a symbol of terror for the oppressor,” she said.

“After becoming the CM, I realised that there is no formal institution in Punjab to control inflation, hoarding and profiteering. The services of the commissioner, DC and revenue department were taken for price control management. How long will the administration continue to eliminate inflation, profiteering and encroachments? After making a realistic analysis of the price control and encroachment situation, it was decided to establish PERA,” she said.

The CM said the establishment of PERA would bring about a revolution in the implementation of law in every nook and corner of the province. The PERA stations would be established in every district and tehsil of Punjab.

“Hundreds of vehicles and other facilities including digital devices are being provided to the PERA force for the well-being of people. Its stations will be established in 144 tehsils of Punjab. If the profiteers are left scot-free, prices will be beyond the reach of the people,” she said.

The CM said indiscriminate action to remove encroachments across Punjab had yielded significant results. “With the removal of encroachments, markets have become safer for women to shop.”

Published in Dawn, July 15th, 2025