Anti-profiteering efforts spark backlash

Initiative allows police to arrest sellers charging excessive prices

RAWALPINDI:

The district government has set up a price control police station and a temporary lockup (jail) in each tehsil of the Rawalpindi district under the new Price Control Act to act against profiteers. The arrests and fines will be started from today (Monday) under the newly enforced act.

The relevant Assistant Commissioner (AC) will be the in-charge of the temporary jail. Around 10 to 12 policemen have already been stationed in each price control police station.

A police inspector, on the complaint of excessive price charging, will directly apprehend the shopkeeper, detain him in the temporary lockup and present him before the AC.

Under the act, a penalty of three days to one month in jail and a fine ranging from Rs 5,000 to Rs150,000 will be imposed for selling essential commodities and food items at exorbitant prices. Any shopkeeper, hawker or stallholder accused of charging exorbitant prices will also be charged with the transportation fare of the inspector's trip from the temporary police station to the shop or stall for his arrest. Moreover, the food bill and other expenses incurred during their detainment in jail will also be charged to the detained shopkeeper.

The Punjab Central Grocery Merchants Association, the Rawalpindi Division Grocery Merchants, the Central Traders Association, the Milk Union, the Naanbai Association, the Beef and Mutton Retailers Union, and the Fruit and Vegetable Vendors Union have all rejected both the new price control system and the DC's Price Control Rating System.

They have announced the new enforcements will be challenged in the Lahore High Court (LHC)'s Lahore Principal Seat and the Rawalpindi, Multan and Bahawalpur Benches of the LHC.

The Central President of the Grocery Merchants Association, Salim Parvez Butt said that the arrests of shopkeepers were being started under this new price system from today and heavy fines and prison sentences would be awarded.

"The new price control mechanism will forcibly close the businesses of those shopkeepers, who support the political parties opposed to the government party. It's cruel and unacceptable to receive transportation of the police arrest from the shopkeeper and food bill with a fine," he maintained. Butt also termed the DC's price control ranking rating system as cruel alleging that a DC, whose rating was less, used to send ACs and magistrates in the field to file more cases to improve his rating and ranking.

"The DC's performance evaluation is now registration of cases against the traders," he deplored.