LAHORE:
The Punjab government has begun preparations for establishing 100 Sahulat Bazaars across the province, aiming to curb inflation and ensure consistent access to essential goods at notified prices.
Announced as a Special Chief Minister’s Initiative under the Fiscal Year 202526 Budget, the project carries an allocation of Rs10 billion. Unlike previous short-term Ramazan markets, the Sahulat Bazaars will be permanent, purpose-built marketplaces established in every tehsil. These facilities will provide essential food and household items at government-notified prices in regulated environments designed to ensure the dignity and convenience for all consumers.
Construction is under way at 13 sites, including Jaranwala, Pattoki, Sharaqpur, Muzaffargarh, Okara, Khanewal, Narowal, Jhelum, Mandi Bahauddin, Chunian, Wazirabad, Bhalwal, Noshehra Virkan, Jalalpur and Burewala. The government has already disbursed Rs3.4 billion for the initial projects, which are expected to become operational by August.
The initiative also includes mobile markets, currently active at 15 locations across Lahore, aimed at improving access in densely populated areas while curbing encroachment and price gouging.
Additional measures include free home delivery services, Sahulat Stalls offering prices below official rates, solar-powered bazaars, and upgrades to 36 existing facilities.
Punjab Sahulat Bazaars Authority (PSBA) chief Naveed Rafaqat Ahmad affirmed that the government is treating the project with “unmatched urgency”.
The target is to have all 100 bazaars operational before Ramazan next year.
To accelerate the rollout, Secretary of Planning, Coordination and Monitoring Dr Ehsan Bhutta convened a meeting to enforce tight deadlines for concept paper submissions and early funding releases. Divisional commissioners across Punjab have been instructed to fast-track land identification and resolve implementation hurdles.
The PSBA, an autonomous authority, is overseeing the execution of the initiative. Officials say the programme represents a shift toward institutionalised price relief.
Meanwhile, the Punjab Food Authority (PFA) launched legal action against a poultry supplier after intercepting a vehicle carrying dead chickens intended for sale in Lahore, seizing over 1,800 kilogrammes of diseased and unfit meat, officials said on Wednesday.
The operation by a PFA enforcement team took place in the Chak Dhera area on the outskirts of the city. A loader rickshaw transporting dead poultry was stopped and an FIR was registered against the supplier.
As part of a crackdown on unsafe practices, a safety task force also inspected more than 217,000kg of meat from 53 suppliers and warehouses in Tollinton Market. Meat prepared from birds suffering from various diseases was found and discarded on the spot.
“Preparing meat from dead or sick birds is a serious crime,” said the PFA director general, adding that investigations are under way to identify those involved in the supply chain of tainted poultry.
He said the PFA is committed to aligning the meat processing and transportation with international standards. He said the authority is employing all available resources to dismantle what he termed an adulteration mafia operating in Punjab.
He urged the people to purchase poultry that is slaughtered in their presence to ensure health safety and to report violations on the PFA helpline.
