Lahore:  Pakistan Muslim League (N) Supremo Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, along with Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, reached public to find out the price of bread.

He met the bakers at Ada Plot and asked them about the price.

Both Nawaz Sharif and Punjab CM Maryam also sought public opinion about the new price of bread. PML-N Quaid Muhamma Nawz Sharif assured people, “I will keep reviewing the price of bread myself.”

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif also inspected the rate list on the occasion.

The people expressed pleasant surprise seeing Muhammad Nawaz Sharif and Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif amidst them.

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif directed the Members of the Provincial Assembly (MPAs) to oversee the prices of roti and naan within their constituencies.

“District Monitoring Committees have been assigned the responsibility of monitoring the rates of roti and naan,’ said the official sources.

They said that the Punjab CM mandated the MPAs to guarantee adherence to the official prices in their respective areas.

She emphasized that strict measures would be implemented against any instances of excessively high prices for naan and roti across Punjab.

“It is responsibility of the public representatives to ensure relief for the public concerning the prices of Naan and Roti,” said CM Maryam.

Lahore: As many as 14 people were arrested on the spot for selling expensive Roti and naan in Lahore and points were sealed on Tuesday.

Food Minister Punjab Bilal Yasin is active in the field to ensure availability of Roti and Naan on the new notified price. The Food Minister visited Shadman and Muslim Town areas to review the prices of Roti and Naan.

“14 persons involved in overcharging were arrested on the spot and the relevant points were sealed,’ said the spokesperson.

Food Minister Bilal Yasin while talking to media representatives after the visit said that habitual criminals must be sent behind the bars. He also reprimanded the Additional Deputy Commissioner General for poor monitoring of the market and directed the administration to come out of their offices and play an effective role in the field for public relief.

Bilal Yasin said that the new prices were notified after considering all the statistics and nobody would be allowed to create artificial inflation.

Punjab Food Minister said that in Lahore they were ensuring bread at Rs16 and Naan at Rs20.

Bilal Yasin directed that the district administration should display the price list in all the markets. He said that the price of flour decreased historically and its impact would be brought to the grass-root level. He said that for the first time in history, the price of a 20 kg bag of flour was reduced by Rs 500.

The Minister of Food said that along with the correct price, the weight of Naat and Roti must also be according to the standard. Deputy Commissioner Lahore, ADCG and Price Control Magistrate also accompanied the Minister during market raids. 

Islamabad:  Hundreds of employees and workers of Walton Tobacco Company appealed to the Chief Justice of Azad Kashmir to take notice of what they said the illegal closure of the factory.

The workers demanded immediate  de-sealing of the premises as families of more than 400 workers are facing difficult conditions due to workers being unemployed following the closure.

The workers appealed to the Chief Justice of Azad Kashmir for justice saying they were the victims of exploitation and were suffering due to the administration’s illegal act.

Spokesman Walton Tobacco Company Arif Zia said that they are receiving threats of serious consequences from the administration of Azad Kashmir.

He further said that Walton is the highest tax-paying company in Azad Kashmir, which pays 240 million rupees to the national exchequer every month.

Arif Zia informed the media at a press conference earlier this week that his company was raided illegally, was subsequently sealed while all the products were seized.

Leaders of factory workers Muhammad Ali and Umar Ahmed said AJK government’s indifferent attitude was disappointing as they did not follow the due process. The government’s action was biased and based on unfounded assumptions. 

They said that the factory owners were treated like thieves, which is discouraging for the highest taxpayers and would result in discouraging investor entering AJK market. 

Arif Zia said that unemployment rate is increasing in Azad Kashmir due to these factors on part of Azad Kashmir government.

Earlier, workers and employees of Walton Tobacco Company held a protest demonstration at Rawalpindi Road outside the factory in Mirpur Chatrapadi, and demanded the administration to immediately de-seal the factory.

They warned the administration to expanding the scope of their protest movement in order to win their jobs and normal life back to their families who were suffering. The workers said their families could not celebrate Eid because the factory was sealed during the holy month of Ramadan.

Walton Tobacco Company spokesperson Arif Zia said that the Azad Kashmir government should first crackdown against sale of illegal cigarettes in the market.