LAHORE: Lahore High Court Chief Justice Mamoon Rashid Sheikh on Monday took notice of unavailability of surgical masks and sanitisers in the market and summoned federal and provincial authorities in person for Tuesday (today).

Hearing a petition filed by Judicial Activism Panel’s chairman Advocate Azhar Siddique against unavailability of surgical masks in the market in the wake of coronavirus threat, the chief justice expressed his dismay at the government for not fixing prices of the masks.

The petitioner lawyer submitted that the citizens had been facing problems because of hoarding of the masks and sanitisers and profiteering by the traders. He said judicial magistrates and the police should be given powers to check masks prices.

He further said there had been no mechanism in place to check the virus-infected persons at the city’s entry and exit points.

Chief Justice Sheikh adjourned the hearing and summoned the federal and provincial authorities concerned to explain their positions in this regard.

On the previous hearing, the Punjab primary & secondary healthcare department had told the court that the government imposed a ban on hoarding of surgical face masks and profiteering in the wake of coronavirus threat.

It said cases were being registered against the hoarders and profiteers under the Price Control and Prevention of Profiteering and Hoarding Act 1977 and other related laws.

Published in Dawn, March 17th, 2020