New authority in the making to enforce price control

FAISALABAD: The Punjab government is set to establish a Price Control Enforcement Regulatory Authority (PCERA) to monitor and hold Price Control Magistrates accountable for their performance. This announcement was made by Salma Butt, Chairperson of the Chief Minister’s Task Force on Price Control, during her visit to Faisalabad. She presided over a meeting of Price Control Magistrates alongside Deputy Commissioner Captain (Retd) Nadeem Nasir. Salma Butt emphasised the need for Price Control Magistrates to recognise their responsibilities and ensure that essential commodities are sold at government-approved prices in markets and bazaars.

She also highlighted the necessity for the training of magistrates and the expansion of model bazaars. She pointed out that officers from various departments currently hold additional powers as Price Control Magistrates, and stressed that these responsibilities should be exclusively managed by dedicated Price Control Magistrates. During the meeting, the Deputy Commissioner briefed on the price control mechanism in Faisalabad, noting that the city’s limited number of magistrates and the need for their training are significant challenges.

TWO REMANDED: A court has granted a threeday physical remand of two brothers accused of detaining and assaulting a Sikh woman and her son. The accused, Khurram Shehzad and his brother Khizar Shehzad were presented before Duty Magistrate Afnan Javed about a case filed at the D-Type Colony police station. The victim, Manmeet Kaur, a married woman from Nankana Sahib, reported to the police on August 14 that she and her son were being held captive in a house in DType Colony, Faisalabad. She stated that Khurram Shehzad, who frequently visited Nankana Sahib, had taken her son to Faisalabad under the pretext of leaving him at his brother Gulfam’s house.

However, instead, he held her son captive and later threatened to kill him, forcing Manmeet Kaur to come to Faisalabad as well. According to her statement, once she arrived, Khurram Shehzad also detained her and subjected her to repeated assaults. She further alleged that Khurram Shehzad, with the help of his brother Khizar Shehzad, forced her into non-consensual relations with both of them. The court has ordered the suspects to appear on August 19.