Islamabad High Court (IHC) has suspended a recent notification on the decrease in the price of roti and naan in the federal capital.

The court has suspended the notification until May 6, seeking a detailed response from the parties on the upcoming hearing.

Case proceedings

The decision came during a hearing presided over by Justice Tariq Mahmood Jahangiri in response to a petition from the Naanbai Welfare Association, highlighting concerns over the legality and jurisdiction of the notification. It was argued that the federal price control fell under the supervision of the prime minister only.

The counsel for the district administration explained that by amending the law, district coordination officers were empowered to issue notifications.

Additionally, the Controller General of Prices and Supplies is appointed by the federal government, along with the assistant controller, appointed by the competent officer of the government, are responsible for fixing prices in accordance with district administration representation.

The lawyer of the petitioner objected that the section under which the notification was issued does not fall under the authority of the controller general.

Comparison with Punjab

The court also inquired about the price of 120-gramme roti in Punjab and that if it was available for Rs25. To this petitioner explained that it was from a provincial government, while in the capital, the flour was expensive and rents high.

The Islamabad High Court consequently suspended the notification and adjourned the hearing until May 6.

On April 14, the Punjab government slashed the price of roti, followed by a similar decision by the Islamabad administration.

Following a notification issued by the capital’s district administration, the new price of roti was set at Rs16, while the price of naan was fixed at Rs20. This adjustment was applicable to both 120-gram roti and naan.