Court wants judges to enforce anti-profiteering laws in Sindh

Illegal increase in price for essential commodities typically takes place before Ramazan

KARACHI: With the local administration having failed to control the prices of essential commodities for the upcoming month of Ramazan, the judiciary has come forward to help them facilitate the masses by enforcing laws meant to curb profiteering and hoarding of daily use items all over the province.



On Tuesday, judicial officials told The Express Tribune that the Sindh High Court (SHC) Chief Justice Ahmed Ali M Sheikh had tasked all the district and sessions judges to ensure the enforcement of laws meant to control artificial increase in prices, which typically takes place during Ramazan.

"It has been observed that the prices of almost all the essential commodities have considerably increased before the upcoming month of Ramazan. The role of the district administration seems to have weakened in controlling the illegal increase in prices and hoarding of essential commodities," read a notification by the SHC registrar, dated May 22, which was addressed to all the judicial heads of 27 districts.



In the notification issued on the directives of the top provincial judge, Registrar Ghulam Rasoon Samoon said it has, therefore, been directed by the chief justice that the district and sessions judges will arrange a meeting with their respective deputy commissioners and other stakeholders for the effective enforcement of the price control laws, such as the Sindh Essential Commodities Price Control and Prevention of Profiteering and Hoarding Act, 2005, and the Price Control and Prevention of Profiteering and Hoarding Act, 1977.

The officials said all the district and sessions judges had been directed to comply with these directions of the chief justice.