LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Wednesday issued notices to the concerned authorities on a petition seeking directives for the government to bring down the price of chicken in the province.
After a preliminary hearing, a bench of the high court directed the provincial government and other respondents to submit their comments on the writ petition at the next hearing.
The petitioner stated before the court that the government has failed to control the rising prices of chicken. The court was requested to order the authorities concerned to take concrete steps to bring down the prices.
It is pertinent to mention that the prices of chicken have gone up considerably with chicken meat being sold at as high as Rs500 per kg in Karachi, Rs365 per kg in Lahore and Rs400 per kg in Islamabad.
Meanwhile, the Sindh government on Wednesday showed serious concern over a “deliberate” and “abrupt” increase in prices of chicken meat in Karachi.
In a letter to the Karachi commissioner, Director of the Bureau of Supply and Prices Javed Hassan Khan said, “In spite of declaring all the deputy commissioners, assistant commissioners and mukhtiarkars as special price magistrates in their respective jurisdictions by the government of Sindh, the notified price of chicken(meat is not implemented and being increased. This abrupt increase in the price of chicken meat and the uncontrolled situation reflect the bad impression of the government functionaries.”
He said the special price magistrates are responsible to take stern action against profiteering and rationalise prices of all essential commodities, including chicken meat.
The letter demanded the deputy commissioners, assistant commissioners and mukhtiarkars to curb the abrupt and undue hike in the prices of chicken.
