It is heartening to note that prime minister seems to be walking the talk as his orders that he issued on Sunday have transformed into firm actions by the administration in various parts of the country.
What were his directions or orders? The prime minister had asked the relevant ministers and officials to ensure price stability and availability of essential goods at all cost.
It was therefore in Islamabad yesterday, for example, that district administration sealed two supermarkets in city’s DHA and three shops in other areas, as well as arrested over 50 vendors during a citywide drive against overpricing.
In my view, the administration, in the case of Islamabad, seems to have not fully done what it was actually required to do. After all, a job half done is as good as none.
Targeting only retailers for overpricing is not the right approach to solving the problem. What about wholesalers and their distributors? It is to be examined whether they too have raised the prices of the items with them, forcing retailers to sell goods on hiked rates.
Salmaan Alvi (Islamabad)
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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