Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has directed Chief Secretary to personally monitor the drive against price hike and hoarding in the province. Chairing a meeting in Lahore on Sunday, she asked to get the government rate list pasted on all shops prominently and strictly monitor the demand and supply of necessary use items to prevent the hoarding.
Maryam Nawaz said supply and prices of fruits and vegetables will also be strictly checked during Holy Ramazan and strict legal action will be taken on price hikes.
With the advent of Ramazan, profiteering has once again tightened its grip on markets across Punjab. The price of essential items - fruits, sugar and staple goods - has surged, making it increasingly difficult for consumers to afford basic necessities. Lahore, a major urban centre, is witnessing particularly steep hikes, with no effective intervention in sight. Unlike previous years, the Punjab government has yet to announce Ramazan Bazaars or fair-price shops, leaving citizens to fend for themselves in an already fragile economy.
This inflationary cycle plays out every year, yet authorities remain unprepared. Demand spikes ahead of Ramazan are no surprise, nor are the exploitative prices that follow. Hoarders and profiteers, emboldened by weak enforcement, continue to manipulate markets, while official price control mechanisms exist only on paper .