The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday stayed the municipality’s May 6 notice of reducing the price of bread.
On April 14, the Punjab government reduced the price of bread, and the Islamabad government took a similar decision.
The Punjab government has reduced the price of roti from 20 to 16 percent and the price of naan from 25 to 20 percent. However, the All Pakistan Naanbais Association (Apna) rejected the move.
The following week, 14 people were arrested in Lahore district for violating the notification about new prices of roti and naan in tandoors. The group also sealed various tandoors. Two days later, 16 more people were arrested in Rawalpindi district for disobeying the new fares during a partial strike against the orders of the city government. On April 19, the All Pakistan Naanbai Association (Apna) called off the strike. Selling bread at $16 and naan at $20 after union leaders guaranteed release.
A day earlier, a dispute between the capital administration and the Naanbai association had landed at the IHC.
IHC Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri heard a plea challenging the legality of the government’s notification and granted a hearing by summoning Islamabad Deputy Commissioner Irfan Nawaz Memon before the bench today (Thursday).
The reduction was welcomed by Sajjad Ali, president of Nan Bhai Capital Welfare Association, which has more than 3,000 tandoors in Islamabad. According to the petitioner, just four months ago, the price was fixed at $25 and $30 for roti and naan, respectively.
Justice Jahangiri presided over today’s hearing, while advocate Umer Ijaz Gilani appeared as counsel for the petitioner. The city of Islamabad failed to appear in court when a representative of the district administration was present.
