Court orders officials to check price-hike and hoarding

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Wednesday directed the Halal Food Authority, Transport and Food departments to submit reports about the steps being taken to check price-hike and hoarding during Ramazan.

A two-member bench of Justice Ejaz Anwar and Wiqar Ahmad heard the petition. The petitioner Abbas Sangeen Advocate, Advocate General Shah Faisal, Special Secretary Home Mohammad Zubair, Secretary Food Zarif Mani, Director Transport Zeeshan and Director Food Yasir Hussain appeared in the case.

The special secretary of Home told the court that as per the directives of the Additional Chief Secretary Home Abid Majeed, the deputy commissioners had been directed to submit daily progress reports in the light of the court orders. He said that a WhatsApp group had been created to share the reports of the actions being taken against hoarding.

The official said that action was being taken against the hoarders and profiteers to check price-hike in Ramazan. The official said that fines were being imposed on the profiteers after the registration of cases against them. He said that committees had been formed at the district level to monitor the fare rates of the public transport.

Justice Wiqar Ahmad directed him to share the phone numbers of the relevant officials with the people through print, electronic and social media so that they could register their complaints.

Justice Ejaz Anwar directed the officials to take action against the profiteers and hoarders to provide relief to the people in the face of backbreaking inflation. The court directed the officials concerned to submit a progress report at the next hearing.