A wrong tradition had been established by unscrupulous businessmen and traders to fleece the people in the holy month of Ramazan and with both hands.

In the entire civilized world, businessmen, traders and shop keepers offer goods at affordable prices to consumers by announcing sales of variety of goods during the religious occasions and festivities with the sole purpose to include the backward and poor people to share in joys and festivities.

It had become tradition for the centuries and poor people wait for such occasions to buy goods they need on affordable prices. Contrary to this tradition, traders, businessmen, shop-keepers and even vendors in our Islamic Republic fleece the disadvantaged people with both hands by charging much more than the normal days.

Unlike past, the Balochistan government this time failed to set up sasta bazaars in the provincial capital to provide relief to the low income consumers in the holy month of Ramazan and thus the profiteers taking advantage of the situation are charging prices at will.

Most of the traders also avoid display of price lists and overcharge consumers. No doubt, price lists are issued daily from the main markets, but there is no mechanism of follow-up to ensure if the official rates are implemented.

The Government of the day, for the past half a century, remained on the side line watching it with no intention to intervene in favour of the poor people. On the contrary it is the Government of traders, businessmen and industrialists with no plan to reduce their own profit on such a fine occasion when consumption of all goods jump many fold during the holy month of Ramazan.

It is the finest chance in the whole year to fleece the people with both hands. No official should dare to intervene or harass the traders, businessmen, hoarders, profiteers and parasites.

The most favourite target of the hoarders, profiteers and parasites is the goods and essential uses and its prices must jump higher for maximization of profit at all level. The main tactic is hoarding of goods of essential and daily use in a sophisticated manner and with the connivance of the officials concerned, who too may have his own share in fleecing the consumers.

In the first instance, the goods disappear from the market and an artificial shortage is created and people must believe that there is a shortage of these goods. A Hue and cry had been created so that an increase in the price of essential goods is justified by all means. The hoarders and profiteers bring back the good in the open market and start selling it at higher prices or the prices they fix arbitrary without caring about the Government and its officials.

The Deputy Commissioners are unconcerned about the plight of the people forced to pay much more that the normal prices of the essential goods, mainly eatables. It is also true to say that the Governments in power were also remained aloof and unconcerned to the problems of the people during the holy month of Ramazan.

The prices of essential goods, including beef, mutton, Chicken and vegetables had been increased arbitrarily at the beginning of Ramazan.

In absence of Price Control Committee or its ineffective role, it had encouraged the traders to engage in loot and plunder.

The district administration claim to have started thorough checking of prices, but it seems they lack coordination to ensure proper monitoring of all bazaars. Once the raiding team leaves the bazaar the profiteers restart fleecing the consumers.

The establishment of ‘sasta bazaars’ was the provincial government’s prerogative as the administration could not take such a decision without proper directives. It’s middle of Ramadan government yet to establish sasta bazaars in the provincial capital and other area of Balochistan.

If there was no sasta bazaar in Quetta, So the Government should conduct regular raids with proper follow up to see if shopkeepers stick to the controlled pricelist provided by authorities or not.