The federal and Punjab governments failed to file a reply in the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Tuesday to a petition questioning inflation and hoarding, especially during Ramadan.
Earlier, Justice Yawar Ali Khan had called the respondents to address the allegations of their absolute failure or deliberate ignorance to check traders making huge profits on commodities of daily use by hoarding and increasing prices. The respondents however, failed to file a reply.
The court again issued notice to the respondents to do the needful on the petition filed by the Judicial Activism Panel through its Chairman Muhammad Azhar Siddique.
The petitioner contended that it was the rulers’ duty to maintain prices of commodities at an affordable level. He said the state had set up various departments to control prices and check hoarding and creating artificial shortages. Various laws were also in place for the purpose but they were all rendered ineffective to let the traders and hoarders make money.
The petitioner requested the court to restore the magistracy system to control prices and punish illegal money makers by increasing jail terms and imposing monetary fines. He also suggested to set up committees comprising lawyers, journalists and civil society representatives to control inflation and hoarding. The court fixed September 12 as the next date of hearing.
