PERA | Pakistan

LAHORE: The Punjab Enforcement Regulatory Authority (Pera) teams are allegedly harassing and forcing the people, involved in sports activities and the businesses exempt from the 10pm closure time restrictions, to close businesses till 10pm in the wake of ongoing fuel crisis lockdown. In recent raids, the Pera teams working under command of the assistant commissioners (ACs) threatened the young people with dire consequences in case of not stopping playing at a locality near Pine Avenue. In another raid, a team led by a female assistant commissioner visited a bakery at 10pm or so, advising its management to close business. The team returned when the [bakery] staff told the officials that the bakeries and some other businesses are exempt from the closure time. On the other hand, the Lahore administration has allegedly failed to explain about restrictions and exemptions to ACs and Pera teams through any fresh notification, as it continues to implement an earlier notification related to businesses’ closure timings...

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz on Monday inaugurated the Punjab Enforcement and Regulatory Authority (PERA), a newly established body aimed at curbing artificial inflation and eliminating encroachments throughout the province.