LAHORE - Provincial Industries and Trade Minister Mian Aslam Iqbal on Tuesday directed the authorities concerned to launch an effective crackdown against elements creating artificial price-hike. He issued these directives while chairing a meeting regarding monitoring of prices of essential edibles, supply and demand chain as well as performance of price control magistrates, here at Civil Secretariat. He said that hoarders and illegal profiteers had increased common man’s difficulties and such social culprits did not deserve any leniency. “Action against those elements found involved in creating artificial price-hike should be taken speedily and no negligence and inefficiency will be tolerated in this regard,” he added. Aslam Iqbal said the government was all committed to ensure provision of quality items at fixed prices to the people. “We will not let price-hike mafia to play with the interests of common man, and all possible measures are being taken to control prices of essential edibles,” he vowed. He mentioned that poor and deprived segment of society would get substantial relief out of billions of rupees package by federal government. An effective mechanism had been devised to ensure availability of essential edibles in the markets, while demand and supply chain was also being monitored, he mentioned. People were now facing brunt of wrong economic priorities of previous governments, in the shape of price-hike. However, PTI government under the leadership of Prime Minister Imran Khan had saved Pakistan from bankruptcy by setting its economy in right direction, he concluded.