New price control force accused of rogue behavior

Amid soaring inflation, PERA launches contentious crackdown on small vendors and shopkeepers

LAHORE:

Due to the failure of the Price Control & Commodities Management Department and the local government at the district level to effectively implement government measures against land grabbing and illegal encroachments, the Punjab government has now established the Punjab Enforcement & Regulatory Authority (PERA) to curtail profiteers.

According to sources, the PERA Force was created following the legacy of past rulers to tackle land mafias, remove encroachments, control inflation, and stop hoarding and profiteering. In its first phase, over 8,000 personnel from Grade 21 to Grade 5 have been recruited. However, since the force's inception, the trading community across the province has launched widespread protests against what they describe as the force’s 'thuggery'.

“PERA officials take photos of shops and the next morning they impose fines ranging from Rs10,000 to Rs25,000 for encroachments or other violations, keeping shops sealed until the fines are paid. This is outright bullying. Shopkeepers with political influence are never bothered. The government must take stakeholders into confidence and stop PERA's clear bullying,” lamented local shopkeepers Babar Khan, Faisal Khan, and Imran Khan.

A local vendor, Ijaz Ahmed, who sells hosiery and T-shirts on foot, revealed that he had been working as a hawker for years and did not yet own a shop. “Despite this, PERA officials fined me Rs5,000 before filing a case against me. My question to the government is: why am I made to suffer this injustice when I’m not even part of any encroachment?" protested Ahmed, who demanded that walking vendors should be allowed to work freely, and the government should control PERA's rogue behavior.

President of the Central Kiryana Merchants Association Lahore, Tahir Saqlain Butt, opined that although the force was originally formed to eliminate encroachments, it had been given extra responsibilities including cracking down on hoarding and price hikes. "PERA officials come without any identification or official price lists. They ask for prices and leave without showing any proof of what was recorded. Later, based on one-sided reports, enforcement officers fine or arrest shopkeepers without investigation. This has created widespread fear among the business community,” said Butt.

According to Salman Abid, a public policy advisor, the biggest flaw in the governance system was the creation of parallel systems in lieu of making the current ones more transparent and accountable. “PERA too is a duplicate institution. Instead of catching major violators they are harassing small vendors and shopkeepers. Creating new departments increases the burden on the provincial budget. PERA officers are getting luxury vehicles and big perks,” commented Abid.

Reportedly, each tehsil has an enforcement station attached to the Assistant Commissioner’s office. These stations are equipped with two single-cabin and one double-cabin vehicles, as well as 18 to 20 Honda 125 motorcycles per tehsil. In total, over 4,000 vehicles have been provided in 156 tehsils of the province, worth crores of rupees. In Lahore alone, 700 enforcement officers and staff have completed their training and are now on duty.

A Punjab government spokesperson stated that the PERA Force was fully active and aimed to tackle hoarding, inflation, illegal encroachments, and land mafias. “Law enforcement, transparency, and justice are the core responsibilities of PERA. PERA’s FIR system has been launched, and its jails are now functional. The force is taking action on a daily basis against price violators, hoarders, and land mafia,” claimed the official.

A PERA spokesperson claimed that PERA was conducting grand operations across major and minor markets against profiteers. “Those selling vegetables, lentils, chicken, and essential items above government prices are being fined up to Rs40,000 on the spot. Citizens can report land grabbing, hoarding, or profiteering via PERA’s helpline, and immediate action will be taken,” said the official.