Hoarding, Price Hike: Punjab, Centre’s replies sought again

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Tuesday again issued notices (for September 12) to the Punjab and federal governments to file their replies in a petition challenging their role in controlling the price hike and hoarding by the vendors in Ramazan. The court had twice ordered the governments earlier to file their replies. The petition was filed by the Judicial Activism Panel through its chairman, Muhammad Azhar Siddique, who said that the governments had failed to control the increase in the price of basic commodities. The petitioner said that vendors were hoarding and black-marketing the commodities and the government was deliberately ignoring them. The petitioner proposed setting up committees comprising lawyers, journalists and civil society representatives for price control.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 24^th, 2011.