New Price Determination Mechanism for Vegetables, Fruits, Meat, and Milk Introduced in Punjab
LAHORE, (APP – UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News – 18th Aug, 2026) Special Assistant to Chief Minister (SACM) Punjab for Food Safety and Consumer Protection, Salma Butt, announced on Tuesday the introduction of a new mechanism for setting prices of vegetables, fruits, leafy greens, meat, and milk in Punjab.
She made these remarks while addressing the second meeting of the Price Control Council, co-chaired by Punjab Agriculture Minister Ashiq Hussain Kirmani. Other attendees included Chairman PAMRA Malik Ahmad Saeed Khan, MPA Farzana Abbas, Director General Enforcement (Price) Imran Qureshi, DG PAMRA Zeeshan Nasrullah Ranjha, and DG Livestock Dr. Sajjad, along with senior officers.
Salma Butt highlighted Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif’s commitment to ensuring the availability of essential food items at affordable prices. She mentioned stringent measures implemented to curb fake inspection entries, guarantee official rates for essential goods, and enhance the performance of price control magistrates.
Notably, the "Qeemat App" has been enhanced with mandatory live location (geotagging) and selfie uploads during shop inspections by price control magistrates. Furthermore, inspections between 10 pm and 5 am have been prohibited.
The meeting reviewed the performance of 1,635 price control magistrates across Punjab. Key findings included:
- Over a million inspections conducted from 2023 to August 2026.
- Fines totaling millions of rupees for overcharging and non-display of official price lists.
- Thousands of arrests and shop sealings due to violations.
Salma Butt reported on ongoing strict monitoring of prices of naan, roti, and chicken, with immediate actions taken against overcharging. She also mentioned a proposal to restructure the appeal committee under consideration for amendments to the Securities and Price Control law, with a 15-day window for appealing price decisions on essential commodities.
According to her, prices of tomatoes and potatoes have seen record declines compared to previous years, while sugar, flour, cooking oil, poultry, and pulses have remained stable in recent months. She attributed a slight rise in onion prices to off-seasonal supplies from Balochistan, where 64% of Punjab’s onion needs are met.
