Penalty: FIRs registered against vendors caught overcharging

MULTAN: The Dera Ghazi Khan administration has registered nine cases against shopkeepers and vendors found to be overcharging customers for essential items. Ghazi Khan Industries District Officer Muhammad Tariq Wali said on Wednesday that the crackdown had lasted five days during which they had registered cases against nine profiteers and had fined other violators a total Rs0.2 million.

He said that raids had been conducted at various markets and Ramazan Bazars on directives of Dera Ghazi Khan District Coordination Officer Nadeemur Rahman.

The DCO had earlier paid a surprise visit to the markets to check price lists and had inquired people about the rates items of daily use were being sold at. He said the step had been taken to punish hoarders, black-marketeers and those found overcharging customers.

“This is illegal…it’s a shame they can’t even put their greed on hold in the holy month” Wali said.

He said the district government had constituted teams to inspect markets. Price control magistrates had been also employed in this regard.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 30^th, 2016.