LHC suspends notification of new prices of ghee, cooking oil

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Tuesday suspended a notification of the Punjab government on the enforcement of new prices for ghee and cooking oil.

Justice Syed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi passed the order on petitions by some 25 vegetable ghee manufacturing mills and adjourned further hearing until Wednesday (today). The director general of Industries, Prices, Weights & Measures on Nov 9, 2019, had issued the impugned notification under Section 6 of the Price Control and Prevention of Profiteering and Hoarding Act, 1977. Advocate Abuzar Salman Niazi, the mills’ counsel, told the court that the government was forcing the mills to sell their product at a price not more than Rs180 per kg, infringing their fundamental right to life protected under Article 3 of the Constitution.