Rawalpindi : ‘Over charging’ is not a crime in this society in the eyes of concerned authority therefore not a single profiteer and hoarder was sent to jail during the holy month of Ramazan while they are looting the public with both hands and freely moving here and there with pride. Profiteers and hoarders have increased the prices of all fruits and several other eatables related to Ramazan by over 100 per cent but concerned authority is not considering it a crime and releasing all looters with ‘personal bail’ (shaksi zamanat) or imposing minor fines.
It is fact that the local administration is continuously registering FIRs under Section 3/7 against hundreds of profiteers and hoarders but how many violators have been sent to Adiala Jail. Not a single profiteer and hoarder has been sent to Adiala Jail from 1st Ramazan to 22nd Ramazan.
Commissioner Rawalpindi Division official spokesman Madam Irfa told ‘The News’ that they were registering FIRs and imposing fines on profiteers and hoarders. In a question, she said that we use a lenient view against profiteers and hoarders. She did not know how many profiteers and hoarders have been sent to jail. She said that the commissioner directed them to adopt a lenient attitude against profiteers and hoarders.
The profiteers and hoarders easily take personal bail (Shaksi Zamanat) from police stations or from assistant commissioners on the spot means overcharging is a minor crime.
Talking to ‘The News’ people belonging to all walks of life have considered ‘overcharging’ a big crime in society. There should be no personal bail at any cost because they are looting innocent people with both hands. We could not control ever-increasing inflation with this lenient attitude, people said.
It is an open secret that before Ramazan one dozen bananas are being sold at Rs70 or Rs80 but in the holy month of Ramazan it is selling at Rs250 and Rs300 means profiteers and hoarders increased their prices by over 100 per cent. One kilogram apple was selling at Rs150 before Ramazan but is selling at Rs250 to Rs300, guava was selling at Rs50 per kilogram but now it is selling at Rs200, strawberries were selling at Rs150 but it is selling at Rs250, one-kilogram dates were selling at Rs160 before Ramazan but now it is selling at Rs250 to Rs350.
‘Lemon’ was sold at Rs50 per kilogram before Ramazan, but now it is being sold at Rs800.
‘Basin’ was selling at Rs150 per kilogram before Ramazan but now it is selling at Rs180 and White Channay were selling at Rs220 before Ramazan but it is selling at Rs300 now.
The chicken and beef/mutton sellers are openly looting the public with both hands and freely without any fear.
The milkmen are openly selling milk and yogurt at skyrocketing prices. The onion and potato sellers are also looting the public with both hands and one-kilogram onion is selling at Rs80 which was easily available at Rs30 before Ramazan.
According to Adiala Jail Management, not a single person has been sent to them on charges of over-charging.
