SHC tells Karachi commissioner to check black marketing of masks

The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Friday directed the Karachi commissioner and all the deputy commissioners of the province to start spot checking and verification of all markets to find out whether shopkeepers were involved in black marketing or profiteering with regard to the sale of standard face masks.

The direction came on petitions against shortage of face masks in markets following the confirmation of coronavirus cases in the country. A petitioner, Nadeem Sheikh, had submitted in the petition that the health authorities had confirmed five positive cases of coronavirus in Pakistan who travelled to Iran for pilgrimage of holy sites.

The petitioner’s counsel, Shahab Sarki, submitted that the prices of surgical face masks had increased after the confirmation of coronavirus cases and they had disappeared at various medical stores. He informed the high court that the box of surgical masks that used to be sold at Rs300 to Rs400 was now being sold at Rs2,000.

He submitted that it was the responsibility of the government to make efforts to control the price hike and stop the black marketing of surgical masks. A representative of the Commissioner Office submitted that the home department had prohibited all kinds of hoarding and profiteering of safety masks for 60 days in Karachi. He submitted that the Provincial Disaster Management Authority was asked to provide one million safety masks to the Commissioner Office for distribution at hospitals.

He informed the SHC that the provincial government had created the coronavirus control room, and in addition to that the federal government had also formed a helpline. A division bench of the SHC, headed by Justice Mohammad Ali Mazhar, directed the Karachi commissioner and deputy commissioners in the rest of Sindh to start spot checking and verification of all markets to inquire as to whether shopkeepers were involved in black marketing or profiteering on safety face masks. The high court also directed the health additional secretary and the commissioner’s representative to appear before the court with a compliance report on March 20.