ISLAMABAD, May 31: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz has directed the chief ministers of the four provinces to bring down prices of all essential commodities to reasonable levels to make them affordable to the common man.

Talking to the chief ministers of Punjab Chaudhry Parvaiz Elahi, NWFP Akram Durrani, Sindh Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim and Balochistan Jam Mohammad Yusuf, the prime minister said the federal government will fully support them in their efforts to manage prices.

He said the phenomenon of price hike should not be tackled as an administrative issue alone but the provincial government should also come down heavily on unscrupulous elements and not allow them to fleece consumers. He called for involvement of district governments in the task of price control as they had been well-settled in their positions now.

The four provincial chief ministers apprised the premier of the steps they had taken to control prices and assured him that further steps would be taken in consultation and cooperation with district governments to lower price levels.

The provincial chief exectives also informed the prime minister of the progress being made on implementation of various development projects in their respective provinces.

The prime minister asked them to ensure timely implementation of development projects so that the benefits of growth could reach the common man.