Four profiteers sent to jail

Commissioner's office fines many others a collective Rs633,000

KARACHI: In order to control the price of fruits and other basic commodities during Ramazan, the Karachi commissioner's office sent as many as four profiteers to jail and has fined others Rs633,000.

According to a press statement issued by the commissioner office, the campaign against the profiteers has been intensified and citizens can register their complaints on 1299.

Commissioner Ejaz Ahmed Khan said that all the deputy commissioners have been tasked with controlling the prices in their respective districts. The greengrocers, meat sellers and fruit sellers were fined on Monday, while milk sellers were fined with Rs30,000 in different districts of the city for selling milk at higher prices.



There is a complaint centre in the commissioner office where citizens have been asked to register their complaints against profiteers so immediate action can be taken. However, despite all such efforts by the commissioner's office, the prices of fruits remained high in the port city on Sunday. Vegetables and fruits are being sold at rates much higher than those fixed by the commissioner's office.



In the open market, vendors are still selling goods at prices which are around 30% to 40% higher than the notified rates.

Bananas, which are a popular fruit during Ramazan, are being sold at a makeshift market at Rs190 a dozen if they are of high-quality and Rs170 a dozen if they are of regular quality. The commissioner's list priced bananas at Rs135 a dozen for good quality and Rs110 for average quality.



An assistant commissioner of the city, on the condition of anonymity, told The Express Tribune that the measures taken by the commissioner officer are very cosmetic and they simply cannot take action against profiteers with the available resources.