PESHAWAR: Adviser to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister on information Ajmal Wazir said on Tuesday the provincial government has brought in an ordinance to check hoarding and profiteering of essential items. Speaking at a press conference, he said the government is continuously monitoring supply of basic food items through an online dashboard. He added the ordinance is being enforced in letter and spirit. Ajmal Wazir said those identifying people involved in profiteering would get 10 per cent of the amount recovered, adding anyone found hoarding will have to pay a fine equivalent to 50 per cent of the seized items’ value. On the one hand, the province is up against the coronavirus pandemic and on the other, some people are hoarding commodities, he lamented. The KP CM’s adviser said the citizens have ample time from the morning till 4pm to go about their business as usual. Tandoor walas (nanbais) and pushcart owners have been given more time to work, he added. “Our main objective is to facilitate the people as much as possible,” he said. Ajmal Wazir urged the people to practice social distancing to avoid contracting the deadly virus. He also urged philanthropists to financially assist white-collar workers affected by the lockdown.
