On Monday, the capital administration opted to decrease the standard weight of Roti from 120 grams to 100 grams while maintaining its price unchanged.
As per the deputy commissioner, the decision aligns with a court order to adjust the weight of Roti to 100 grams, while its price remains at Rs. 16, as per last month’s notification. Meanwhile, the weight and price of Naan will remain unchanged at Rs. 20 for 120 grams, as per the earlier notification.
This decision followed discussions with the Capital Naanbai Association, where the discrepancy in Roti weights between Islamabad and other provinces like Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was raised. Aligning with prevailing standards in other regions was deemed necessary, prompting the adjustment.
In a related development, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) dismissed a petition challenging the reduction in Roti and Naan prices after the district administration revised the notification. Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri ruled that the petition had become obsolete since the challenged notification had been withdrawn and replaced.
The initial notification, issued in mid-April by the Punjab government, prompted the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) administration to set the prices of Roti and Naan at Rs. 16 and Rs. 20, respectively, for a standard serving size of 120 grams, a significant reduction from previous prices of Rs. 25 and Rs. 30.
The decision faced resistance from the Capital Naanbai Association, leading to the filing of a petition challenging the legality of the notification. The petitioner’s counsel argued that the notification was issued without proper legal authority, contending that only the federal government was empowered to issue such directives under the Price Control and Prevention of Profiteering and Hoarding Act, 1977.
