Punjab Orders Crackdown on Petroleum Hoarding Ahead of Eid

By Dr Ansab Ali | Lahore, Pakistan
LAHORE: The Punjab government has directed all Deputy Commissioners (DCs) across the province to launch an immediate crackdown on the hoarding of petroleum products, following instructions from the federal government.
The directives were issued during a high-level meeting chaired by Chief Secretary Punjab Zahid Akhtar Zaman at the Civil Secretariat on Friday. The meeting reviewed the availability and pricing of essential commodities across the province.
During the meeting, the deputy commissioners were instructed to take prompt and strict legal action against individuals involved in the illegal hoarding of petroleum products. The Chief Secretary emphasized that such unlawful practices would not be tolerated and directed district administrations to ensure strict enforcement of relevant laws.
The meeting also reviewed ongoing price control measures. The Chief Secretary stressed the need to further strengthen enforcement during the last ten days of Ramadan and in the lead-up to Eid to protect consumers from inflation and profiteering.
District administrations were instructed to intensify market monitoring to ensure the availability of fruits, vegetables, and other essential food items at officially notified prices.
“Providing relief to the public from inflation and ensuring the sale of essential commodities at government rates is the fundamental responsibility of the administration,” the Chief Secretary said, warning that negligence in this regard would not be tolerated.
He also directed price control magistrates to remain active in the field rather than staying in offices, in order to ensure effective monitoring and to curb profiteering and hoarding.
The meeting was attended by the Secretary Home, Secretary Food Safety and Consumer Protection, the Chief Executive Officer of the Urban Unit, and the Additional Inspector General of Special Branch. All divisional commissioners and deputy commissioners participated in the meeting via video link.