LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Friday restrained the provincial government from taking coercive measures against poultry dealers to enforce price for chicken meat.

Justice Jawad Hassan passed the order on a petition filed by the Poultry Association against the government actions for price fixation.

Advocate Salman Akram Raja appeared on behalf of the association and argued that neither the provincial government nor the district administration had any jurisdiction to fix price for the chicken. He said there was no official notification about prices of the chicken and the government authorities had been enforcing prices through verbal orders.

The counsel further said the government had been extending harassment to the association and its members to enforce illegal prices for chicken. He asked the court to restrain the government from causing any harassment to the association members and enforcing the price.

The judge observed that the chicken meat should be in the reach of poor of the country.

The judge, however, restrained the government from taking coercive measures against the petitioner and sought a written reply by the next hearing.

Published in Dawn, June 6th, 2020