MIRPUR (Kashmir English): In a strict crackdown on price gouging, Assistant Commissioner Raja Zahid Hussain Khan and Tehsildar Imran Yousaf arrested 21 shopkeepers in Mirpur today, on the first day of Ramadan, for overcharging customers. Several others were fined and warned for failing to comply with official price regulations.
The price control operation expanded into the Mirpur district, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) areas when magistrates, together with police officials, performed inspections for fair pricing throughout different locations. A part of these checks included the removal and disposal of both non-compliant and health-risking food products.
Tehsildar Imran Yousaf took leadership of the bidding procedure on Sunday morning at the central fruit and vegetable market to ensure complete market transparency. Assistant Commissioner Raja Zahid Hussain Khan conducted quality checks of vital food items at Nangi, Cricket Stadium Chowk, Chungi and F-1 Road and Nangi. The inspections included checks on vegetables, fruits, pakoras, samosas, milk, yoghurt, and dates together with typical daily food products.
The inspectors discarded non-hygienic food items primarily containing substandard cooking oil and ghee throughout the checks. Those shopkeepers exceeding official price controls received heavy fines as an enforcement action, although many instead received official warnings. The governmental bodies warned that new official pricing rule violations would lead to increased punishment for offenders.
The officials stressed that price stability throughout Ramadan remained essential because it prevented people from bearing financial hardship. The government’s crackdown formed part of a wider initiative to guarantee that vital food products stayed both reasonable and obtainable to all people, especially during the fasting month, which drove up demand levels.
People in the region supported the price management system due to the district government’s direct involvement in market price governance. People were optimistic that these measures would sustain throughout the entire Ramadan period so that traders could not take advantage of fasting consumers.
Regular inspections will continue to be conducted by the district administration, while citizens are invited to report excessive pricing or substandard product sales.
