Commissioner asks scholars to discourage profiteering

Shoaib Siddiqui reviews measures to control price hikes at meeting with religious scholars.

KARACHI: Commissioner Shoaib Ahmed Siddiqui has changed his strategy to eradicate illegal profiteering by urging religious scholars and clerics to join hands in ensuring the shopkeepers follow the official price list for commodiites during the month of Ramazan.

During a meeting in his office with religious scholars on Wednesday, he reviewed the measures necessary to be taken in order to keep the prices from hiking during the holy month. “The scholars, during Juma prayers and congregations should highlight that illegal profiting is also a moral infringement,” he said. He added that the clerics must use references from the Quran and Hadith to discourage illegal profiting and hoarding.

The Ramazan drive, which took place last year as well, has already failed this year as the price hike and illegal hoarding has already begun even before the holy month has begun. Prices of all basic commodities, even those aside from vegetables and fruits, have spiked recently.

“Those who are caught gaining illegal profits during Ramazan will be put behind bars,” he said. According to a statement, during the drive against illegal profiteers, the district administration has charged Rs50 million to different shopkeepers and retailers.

“Our administration has bowed down in front of the illegal profiteers,” complained Madiha, a resident of North Nazimabad. She added that it is common for the rates of fruits and vegetables and other commodities, such as sugar, rice, pulses and meat go as up as by 80 to a 100 per cent in Ramazan.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 26^th, 2014.