CM assures House of curbing price-hike during Ramazan

KARACHI - Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah Wednesday assured that government will leave no stone unturned in controlling the price hike during the holy month of Ramzan for which the Sindh Assembly has already passed a law of Sindh Essential Commodities Price Control and Prevention of Profiteering and Hoarding to punish the hoarders, profiteers and black marketers and had also created Prices and Bureau of Supplies department.

He gave these assurances on the floor of Sindh Assembly while opposing the adjournment motion moved by opposition NNP member Arif Mustafa Jatoi.

Opposition member Arif Jatoi, through his motion, demanded the government to take effective measures to control rising prices of essential items in the wake of approaching month of Ramzan.

Quoting various rules, the leader of the house termed the motion as non maintainable and argued it was hypothetical as the mover anticipated prices hike in the sacred month which has yet to come and nobody knew whether the prices would be increased or not in the coming month. He said that minister concerned has already elaborated on the measures the government was going to take.

Mr. Shah, opposed admissibility of motion on the factual and legal grounds and said it was hit by Rules 71-A and 73 of Rules of Procedure and, therefore, non maintainable.

He said the motion would have been maintainable, if any recent incident had taken place which in fact was not.

He pointed out that the phenomenon of ever rising prices of essential commodities was seen for some time and it was merely hypothesis when Mr Jatoi says that prices will rise in Ramzan.

Opposing the motion Sindh Minister for Prices and Bureau of Supplies Shoaib Bukhari said that under rule 71 it was not an adjournment motion though it could be the wish of the mover.