CM assures House of curbing price-hike during Ramazan

He said that provincial government cannot fix the prices of essential items as this was the responsibility of respective city and district governments which were fixing such prices on daily basis. He said the price fixing matter was dealt by Investment Promotion department which is supported by DDO Revenue appointed by provincial government. He said that city district government and city government issued prices list of essential commodities every day.

He said that under the directives of Chief Minister, provincial prices committee comprising food, agriculture and law ministers will monitor the situation. The minister said that till date six meetings of the committee had been held with all stakeholders including wholesalers, retailers and vendors to bring the prices under the reach of common man during the sacred month and the business community had been advised to take reasonable profit instead of fleecing the consumers. Similar committees, he said, have been formed in other districts comprising of elected representatives as its members with the DCOs of concerned districts. After long discussion in which rules were frequently cited, Speaker Nisar Ahmed Khuhro declared motion non maintainable.  

The house found itself in an interesting situation when the leave application of former chief minister and PML (Q) member Dr. Arbab Rahim came before the house. Usually these kinds of applications are routinely accepted but the house reverberated with the shouts of “No’.

Leader of Opposition Jam Madad Ali, however, said that PPP is a democratic party and should maintain its democratic traditions and grant leave to Dr Arbab as this was customary.

He said he had talked to Chief Minister and had assured him that Dr. Arbab will attend the next session and, therefore, his application be accepted. MPAs from MQM side remained silent when the issue was being discussed.