MIRPUR (Kashmir English): The Mirpur district administration has barred brands and retail shops from charging customers separately for shopping bags, declaring it “incorrect and illegal”.
The District Magistrate Mirpur issued an order today, following a request by High Court advocate Sheikh Arif Naseem.
Earlier, the Assistant Commissioner Mirpur sent a letter to the DC office, saying that several shoe and garment franchises and other brands had been charging customers between Rs 20 and Rs 50 for shopping bags, in addition to the prices of the goods purchased.
It further requested the DC Mirpur to issue an order at the district level, prohibiting the additional charges for shopping bags.
Following the letter, the Deputy Commissioner’s Office issued an order, stating that under the law, the labelled price of the brand is already inclusive of all taxes and other charges.
“Therefore, it was illegal to charge consumers an additional price for branded shopping bags.”
The order also referred to a Consumer Court Peshawar decision dated September 16, 2026, which also declared this act illegal.
“Due to the lack of awareness of the matter, consumers are forced to pay more than the retail price for bags,” it stated.
The district administration further warned that legal action would be taken against any brand or retailer found charging separately for shopping bags.
