Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz on Monday officially launched the Punjab Enforcement and Regulatory Authority (PERA) — a powerful new body aimed at controlling artificial inflation, eliminating market encroachments, and restoring safe, accessible public spaces across the province.
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony in Lahore, the CM declared PERA a “revolution in governance,” highlighting its creation within just eight months. She emphasized that this force was developed with public service and accountability at its core. “We lacked a specialized institution to regulate inflation and protect consumers. PERA fills that vacuum,” she said.
Maryam Nawaz also exposed corruption embedded in the former system. She revealed that many price control magistrates had hired private individuals who accepted bribes from shopkeepers in exchange for leniency — allowing unfair pricing to thrive. “This won’t be tolerated anymore,” she asserted.
PERA will operate as an independent regulatory force, initially deploying in Lahore next week and then expanding province-wide. It will consist of over 8,000 trained personnel, backed by significant government funding and operational independence. Its dual mandate includes monitoring market prices and leading anti-encroachment drives in busy commercial areas.
The CM stressed that encroachments had severely impacted women and families, turning markets into unsafe, overcrowded zones. Under PERA, several large-scale clearance operations have already been conducted across Punjab — with more aggressive enforcement planned ahead.
In addition to PERA, the government has also formed the Crime Control Department (CCD) to target land mafias, hoarders, and criminal networks. “These measures have already created fear among criminal elements, and many have begun fleeing the province,” she claimed.
Wrapping up her address, Maryam Nawaz vowed strict, impartial enforcement of the law. “Whether it’s the powerful or the poor — the law will be applied equally. PERA is just the beginning.”