Karachi commissioner orders crackdown against milk ‘mafia’

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KARACHI: Karachi Commissioner Ejaz Ahmed Khan on Friday ordered a crackdown against retailers and wholesalers who refused to sell milk at government-approved price of Rs85 per litre and called for immediate action against those who are selling milk at higher prices.

Meanwhile, consumers on social media called for a three-day boycott of milk in order to bring down the soaring prices.

On Wednesday, a milk crisis emerged in Karachi as a majority of retailers closed their shops. Forced to sell milk at the government-approved price of Rs85 per litre, the retailers complained that they were unable to break even after purchasing milk at Rs95 per litre.

A meeting discussing milk prices, chaired by Karachi commissioner, decided in favour of an upward revision worth Rs 10 per litre on Thursday. The participants of the meeting unanimously agreed to bump up the price of milk from Rs 85 to Rs 95 per litre.

However, an official notification regarding the price hike has yet to be issued.

In a statement issued late Wednesday night, Shakir Umar Gujjar, the president of the Dairy and Cattle Farms Association (DCFA), confirmed the price of milk for farms has been set at Rs 86 per litre.