LAHORE - Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif has taken notice of reports of increase in prices of food items ahead of the holy month of Ramazan and directed the cabinet committee on price control to take immediate steps to check the prices.

The chief minister has directed the officials concerned to visit vegetable markets and other commercial areas and take steps to stablise the prices of food items. He has also directed the administration to ensure provision of eatables to people at fixed rates at every cost. He said that sale of food items at higher rates will not be tolerated. He said the cabinet committee, concerned agencies as well as the district administration should play their role to bring stability in prices of daily use items. He said that officials should regularly visit markets and ensure sale of essential items at fixed rates. He said indiscriminate action should be taken against the elements involved in artificial price hike. He said that people cannot be left at the mercy of profiteers and officials will not be spared if a complaint is received about sale of daily use items at higher rates.  Talking to a delegation of party leaders earlier in the day, Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that Asif Ali Zardari and Imran Khan had ruined Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, respectively. He said that performance of the PML-N government is an example to be followed by other provinces. “The government has worked hard to bring improvements in health, education and other sectors. As a result, Punjab has taken the lead, while people were ignored in KP and Sindh provinces. Both Zardari and Niazi have devastated their provinces. Those claiming about politics of principles have set a new record of deviation from their stance,” he said.

The chief minister said that people of Pakistan know Zardari and Niazi very well because they deceived the masses with their hollow slogans for five long years. He said that political career of Niazi is replete with U-turns, sit-ins and falsehood. The so-called claimants of change are unable to complete any worthwhile project in KP. Peshawar city has been dug up in the name of metro bus project. He said that Zardari’s stolen money in Swiss banks proves corruption stories against him. Those who are totally drenched in corruption are now talking about accountability. He said that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s steps for public welfare will bury the politics of PML-N opponents in the next elections, which will be harbinger of victory of transparency, honesty and public service. “The brave people of Pakistan will cast their vote on the basis of performance and so-called claimants of change as well as plunderers will be rejected,” he said.

Also, Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed a deep sense of sorrow and grief over the death of five persons of a family in an explosion in a Peshawar hotel and extended his sympathies to the heirs. He also prayed for early recovery of the injured.