Plea filed against arbitrary hike in milk, yogurt prices

Sindh High Court (SHC) on Monday issued notices on petitions to become party in applications against arbitrary price hike of milk in the city.

A two-member bench headed by Justice KK Agha heard the application of Tariq Mansoor Advocate in petitions against high arbitrary prices of milk. In his plea, Tariq Mansoor Advocate said that profiteers in dairy trade have taken Rs47 billion from the pockets of citizens in just two years, a fact confirmed by the report of Competition Commission of Pakistan.

Moreover, Commissioner Karachi has no authority to fix milk rates in city. Only Bureau of Supply and Prices can do this. Court should check this point that whether province has authority after 18th Amendment or federation, he said.

The advocate concluded his arguments for the day by stating that the Bureau of Supply and Prices has both the human and financial resources to set and monitor prices. The bureau as almost 1,150 employees and its annual budget is more than Rs30 billion, the petitioner said.

SHC made Tariq Mansoor Advocate's report a part of the record and sought asked reply from all departments concerned in six weeks and adjourned the hearing till then.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 1^st, 2022.