The National Price Monitoring Committee (NPMC), chaired by Federal Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal, has issued a direct mandate to the Sindh government to address the escalating public transport fares in Karachi. The directive comes after reports emerged that commuters are being forced to pay inflated rates despite a previously announced government freeze.
On April 5, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah announced a successful negotiation with transporters to maintain fares at February 28 levels in exchange for provincial subsidies. However, the NPMC noted on Saturday that these measures have yet to translate into relief for Karachi’s citizens.
“The committee has directed the Sindh government to take immediate corrective measures to ensure that the relief intended for the public is not hijacked by arbitrary increases,” the official statement read.
Minister Ahsan Iqbal emphasised that with the federal government providing subsidies to cushion the impact of global oil shocks, there is no justification for the 25% to 50% hikes reported on some urban routes. He tasked provincial secretaries with conducting random field inspections to penalise overcharging operators.