MANSEHRA: The police claimed on Sunday to have seized a big quantity of narcotics and arrested three drug peddlers.

“We have arrested three narcotics peddlers and seized huge quantity of contraband from their possession during action in different parts of Baffa-Pakhal tehsil,” DSP Shinkiari range Tahir Qureshi told reporters on Sunday.

Flanked by SHO Mudassar Zia, he said the crackdown was launched on the orders of district police officer Zahoor Babar Afridi, adding the contraband included charas, heroin and ice drug.

He said the peddlers were held in Dodial and its adjoining localities.

Charas, heroin, ice drug recovered from them

He said DPO Babar Afridi wanted action against the elements supplying ice drug to youth.

He identified the narcotics peddlers as Aziz Abdul Manan, Fakhrul Islam and Altaf Hussain.

Meanwhile, the district and tehsil municipal administrations have established price monitoring cells to address complaints about price hikes and artificial shortages of essentials in bazaars.

These cells are manned by TMA officials.

Tehsil municipal officer Ghulam Murtaza told reporters that cells were established at prominent places in different bazaars.

He said such cells were also established the first time in Khaki, Kalgan Mor, and fruit and vegetable market.

“Consumers should extend their support to our initiative in addressing artificial shortage and price hike issues,” Mr Murtaza said.

He said that the district price control and review committee had fixed prices of essentials for Ramazan.

SUBSIDISED ITEMS: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz MPA Sardar Shahjehan Yusuf on Sunday directed the utility store employees to ensure the availability of essential goods at subsidised rates to consumers, or face action.

“I am here on the orders of the prime minister to check the availability of essential goods at utility stores, and if I find any shortage and irregularities in the distribution of these products strict legal action would be initiated against those responsible,” he warned while speaking to reporters after visiting different utility store outlets in the city and its suburbs.

Utility Stores Corporation’s regional manager for Hazara Salma Waheed briefed Mr Yusuf on initiatives being taken to ensure uninterrupted supply of all the 19 essential items, on which Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced a subsidy of over Rs12 billion, to the deserving people.

“We are ensuring accessibility of the subsidised items for customers at our stores across the region during Ramazan,” she said.

Mr Yusuf, who is the son of former federal minister Sardar Shahjehan Yusuf, and also remained minister of state, said the premier had appointed representatives to ensure the smooth and uninterrupted supply of subsidised items.

Mr Yusuf said the PML-N government under the leadership of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was working to address the socioeconomic issues in the country.

Published in Dawn, March 18th, 2024