COVID-19 outbreak: FIR lodged against Lahore pharmacy over profiteering of masks

Lahore CCPO urges citizens to file complaints against profiteering

LAHORE: With the novel coronavirus panic simmering in Pakistan, a complaint was lodged against profiteering of masks at the Defence Police Station in Lahore on Sunday.

The Lahore Police lodged a first information report (FIR) against a local medical store for increasing prices of masks in wake of the COVID-19 outbreak in the country.

The pharmacy in DHA Block H was selling an N-95 mask for Rs550.

This was found out during a under-cover operation where a police official disguised as a customer to inquire about the price of a mask. The shop owner did not provide a rate list for the masks.

Lahore Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Zulfiqar Hameed asserted that the profiteering of masks will not be allowed. He encouraged citizens to lodge complaints at a nearest police station or call on the 15 helpline.

Hameed assured the police will take immediate action.

So far no coronavirus has been confirmed in Punjab. Three of Pakistan’s six confirmed coronavirus cases were in Karachi and the rest in Gilgit-Baltistan region – and all had a travel history to Iran where they are believed to have contracted the highly infectious disease.

There are growing fears in Pakistan — sandwiched between China and Iran, both hotspots for the disease — over how the country would deal with the outbreak.

The number of coronavirus cases has risen worldwide to more than 100,000, with 3,500 dead across 95 nations and territories.