Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has said that, for the first time in the province’s history, prices of essential commodities have fallen by over 50 per cent during Ramazan.
Chairing a meeting on Tuesday, the CM reviewed prices of fruits, vegetables, flour, chicken, and other essential items across Punjab, commended the government team’s performance, and urged citizens not to purchase from shops that fail to display official rate lists. She also directed authorities to further increase supply in Lahore.
During the meeting, the briefing highlighted that onion prices have dropped to their lowest since 2022, while prices of ginger, garlic, lemons, and other items have also declined. Compared to last year, a clear downward trend in essential commodity prices is evident.
During the first five days of Ramazan, over 3.5 million people visited 49 Negahban bazaars, purchasing 2.1 million tonnes of food items, saving around Rs30 million through subsidised rates. For the first time, fruits, vegetables, flour, and chicken in Murree were sold at rates below Rawalpindi DC rates. Senior citizen camps served about 10,000 elderly shoppers at these bazaars.
A total of 1,549 flour sale points were established across Punjab, selling 10kg bags at Rs850 (market Rs905) and 20kg bags at Rs1,810. Meanwhile, 421 Negahban Ramazan dastarkhwans served iftar to 462,000 fasting individuals.
During Sehr and Iftar timings, the Punjab Food Authority inspected 9,440 locations, discarding 29,000kg of substandard food. Regulatory teams conducted checks at 338,000 points, imposed fines of Rs37.5 million, registered 313 cases, and made 2,870 arrests for violations.
Separately, Maryam Nawaz has said that Punjab has become the first province in the country to establish the Provincial Intelligence Fusion and Threat Assessment Centre (PIFTAC), aimed at strengthening intelligence coordination and threat assessment.
She also approved the formation of an anti-drone unit and directed the immediate establishment of a cybercrime cell in the province.
The chief minister visited PIFTAC, on Tuesday, and was given a detailed briefing on its operational framework and the overall law and order situation in Punjab. During the briefing, she granted approval for setting up the anti-drone unit to counter emerging aerial threats and enhance surveillance capacity.
Directing authorities to adopt a proactive security strategy, Maryam Nawaz ordered continuous combing operations across the province to ensure protection of life and property. She also instructed officials to install modern digital scanners at all entry and exit points of Punjab to strengthen monitoring and prevent the movement of suspicious elements.
A special centralised dashboard has been established for deputy commissioners of all districts to improve coordination and real-time monitoring of security matters. The CM further directed that the whistleblower system be strengthened to help curb terrorism and serious criminal activities.
She announced that an Artificial Intelligence (AI) hub would be set up within PIFTAC to enhance cyber security, data analysis, and operational response capabilities. Emphasising preventive action, she said authorities must focus on pre-empting threats rather than reacting after incidents occur.
CM Maryam Nawaz said that the government is determined to make Punjab the safest province in Pakistan and would utilise all available resources to ensure public safety and maintain law and order.