by Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has inaugurated the Punjab Enforcement and Regulatory Authority (PERA), a first-of-its-kind provincial enforcement body dedicated to controlling artificial inflation, hoarding, land encroachments, and profiteering across Punjab.
🎯 Why PERA Matters
- Dedicated inflation control: Punjab previously lacked a focused agency to monitor rising prices and prevent hoarding. PERA fills that crucial void .
- Clearing encroachments: Markets have been narrowed due to illegal encroachments, creating danger zones for shoppers—especially women. PERA aims to reverse that, making public spaces safer.
- Anti-corruption drive: The CM revealed that previous price control magistrates hired middlemen who took bribes. PERA seeks to eliminate these corrupt practices by having trained, accountable personnel.
- CM Maryam launches PERA to curb inflation, encroachments across Punjab.
đź› How PERA Will Operate
- Rapid rollout: Launched within eight months, PERA will begin operations in Lahore next week. It plans full coverage across all 144 tehsils of Punjab by year-end.
- Robust infrastructure: Equipped with 8,000–8,500 trained personnel, hundreds of vehicles, modern digital tools, enforcement stations, and a central control room .
- Empowered officers: Staff will have authority to inspect, seal premises, issue emergency orders, remove encroachments, arrest offenders, and even register FIRs as per the 2024 Punjab Enforcement and Regulation Act .
🧩 Leadership & Vision
- Chief Minister’s role: Maryam Nawaz serves as Chairperson of PERA, with the Chief Secretary as Vice Chairperson and Capt. (R) Farrukh Atiq as Director General.
- Change agent: The CM called PERA “a revolution in governance” and a “symbol of fear” for profiteers and land mafias, while assuring it would be “a shield for the oppressed”.
- Rule of law: She emphasized that no one is above the law, referencing an incident when her own son was fined for a traffic violation—praising impartial enforcement .
âś… Early Impact & Public Benefits
- Safer markets: Clearance of encroachments has widened walkways, boosted business for shopkeepers, and improved women’s safety.
- Anti-hoarding: PERA tackles inflated prices and hoarding, signaling stricter market justice .
- Law enforcement synergy: Operates alongside the Crime Control Department (CCD) to dismantle land and hoarding mafias .
🔍 What Lies Ahead
- Province-wide rollout: Expansion to all regions by December with full enforcement capabilities.
- Institution-building: PERA is establishing itself as a transparent, accountable regulator—trained young personnel backed by modern infrastructure.
- Public trust focus: Whistleblower protections, grievance redress mechanisms, and a legal oversight structure aim to ensure fairness
🧠Final Takeaway
By launching PERA, CM Maryam Nawaz is spearheading a significant governance reform—establishing Punjab’s first dedicated agency to combat inflation, encroachments, and profiteering. With modern tools, legal powers, and a youth-led force, PERA is poised to reshape market regulation and uphold law and order in Punjab.
