LAHORE: The Punjab Food Safety and Consumer Protection department continued the crackdown on over-pricing of daily-use items, taking action against 1,500 profiteers for overcharging the customers during the last three days.

Secretary Dr Kiran Khurshid said her department got 65 cases registered and arrested some 1,075 profiteers, while some 675 shopkeepers were fined for not displaying the official rate list.

Meanwhile, the department’s magistrates imposed around Rs5.56 million fines on violators.

Checking the sellers, the secretary stated that the price control magistrates checked 10,979 broiler chicken shops and got more than 10 cases registered. They got more than 80 shopkeepers arrested, imposing a total Rs469,000 fine on them.

Dr Khurshid says the government is working to increase price control magistrates to ensure essential items be sold at fixed prices. Action will continue after Ramazan, she added.

Published in Dawn, March 17th, 2026