Adviser says zero tolerance for hoarders, profiteers

PESHAWAR: Adviser to Chief Minister on Information and Public Relations Ajmal Wazir has stated that profiteering and hoarding will never be tolerated in and those found violating the law, will be dealt with accordingly. He said this during a press briefing on Tuesday, said an official handout.

The adviser said the government had already promulgated an ordinance to curb hoarding and profiteers, adding the government would never allow hoarding and artificial price hike during Ramazan. He said the ordinance was promulgated since the government wanted to discourage hoarding and profiteering, adding hoarders will be arrested without warrants and sentenced to three years besides charged 50 per cent of the stocked goods.

Ajmal Wazir said the stocks and supply of the daily commodities including flour, sugar, pulses, rice, cooking oil, onions, tomatoes, potatoes, milk and others were being checked. Talking about the ongoing efforts against Covid-19, the advisor said 684 persons arrived at the airport in Peshawar and some of them tested negative, adding 1987 people arrived from Afghanistan via Torkham among whom 972 were sent home after they tested negative.

He said the provincial government was fighting two wars-poverty and Covid-19 adding the provincial government will start disbursing Rs 6,000 soon as the number of 29,000 people who deserved Zakat has been increased to 100,000.

On updates of Covid-19, the advisor said 120 new cases were reported during last 24 hours across the province, bringing the total number of patients to 1984, adding with six deaths in the last 24 hours in the province, the total number of deaths in K-P has crossed the 100 figure and stood at 104. With a total of 533, around 18 corona patients recovered in a single day.

SCCI welcomes package SMEs

Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Maqsood Anwar Pervaiz on Tuesday welcomed the federal government announcement about allocation of Rs50billion package for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs).

According to the fiscal support package, he said, the electricity bills would be waived off for next three months for small traders and commercial institutions up to connected load of 5 kilowatts and small industries up to connected load of 70 kilowatts. However, he demanded to include commercial institutions with connected load of 20 kilowatts and industrial units with connected load of 400 kilowatts into the government scheme.

In a statement issued here, the SCCI chief asked the government to take measures for provision of soft loans from commercial banks for corona hit small traders and industries, resolution of issues of exporters and importers on priority basis.

Maqsood Pervaiz expressed the hope that the business community hit by corona-lockdown would get relief to some extent after announcement of Rs50billion support package. However, he demanded of the federal and provincial governments to waive off all taxes, availability of interest-free loan, and rescheduled loans of commercial institutions.

Accused arrested for killing niece

The police on Tuesday arrested an accused on the charges of killing his seven-year old niece over a petty issue, an official said. The official said the accused identified as Fazal Hayat was arrested during a raid in Landikotal tehsil in Khyber tribal district when he was planning to escape to Afghanistan. “A team of Peshawar police along with the Khyber police arrested the accused Fazal Hayat late Monday night,” Capital City Police Officer Mohammad Ali Gandapur said. He added the police were after the accused since the day he committed the crime and had been on the run. It was learnt that the accused opened fire to kill his niece Eshal, 7, for making noise at home. The police said the two brothers had some dispute. The video of the incident went viral on the social media in which a man could be seen firing a single shot.