Islamabad, March 2, 2025 – Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has issued firm directives to the concerned authorities, emphasizing the urgent need to ensure the availability of essential commodities at reduced prices for the general public.
Stressing the government’s commitment to public welfare, Shehbaz reiterated that providing essential goods at affordable rates remains a top priority of his administration.
Chairing a high-level meeting on Sunday regarding sugar supply and price regulation, Shehbaz underscored the government’s recent crackdown on sugar smuggling. He noted that these strict measures had yielded positive results, stabilizing the market to a great extent. However, he emphasized the need for continued vigilance and instructed officials to adopt concrete measures to prevent hoarding and artificial price hikes, particularly in the sugar sector.
Shehbaz directed authorities to devise a comprehensive strategy to ensure a steady supply of sugar and other essential commodities at fair prices. He urged federal and provincial governments to work in close coordination, stressing the importance of a unified effort to control inflation and provide relief to the common man. “A collaborative approach between the federal and provincial administrations is crucial in making essential items accessible to the people at reasonable prices,” Shehbaz remarked.
As the holy month of Ramadan approaches, Shehbaz made it clear that any negligence in controlling prices would not be tolerated. He called for rigorous monitoring and strict enforcement of price regulations to prevent exploitation by market manipulators. During the briefing, officials informed the prime minister that the country currently holds sufficient sugar reserves. They also highlighted that fair price shops have been established at the provincial level to sell sugar at subsidized rates, and further steps are being taken to curb smuggling effectively.
The prime minister emphasized that swift and decisive action must be taken against hoarders and profiteers, instructing district administrations to remain proactive in their enforcement efforts. Chief secretaries assured Shehbaz that robust measures were in place to tackle illegal hoarding and price manipulation.
The meeting was attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar, Federal Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal, Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Ahad Cheema, Federal Minister for Industries and Production Rana Tanveer Hussain, Federal Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik, and other senior officials. Chief secretaries from all provinces also joined the meeting via video link to discuss coordinated efforts in price regulation.