Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz on Monday launched ‘The Punjab Enforcement and Regulatory Authority (PERA)’ to curb inflation and encroachment.

Addressing the launching ceremony in Lahore, she said that the law should be applied on both the poor and influential.

The chief minister said that the PERA has been established in just eight months for the welfare of the public.

“Earlier, there was no dedicated force to control the artificial inflation and therefore this authority was established,” she said.

She revealed that some price control magistrates had hired private people who took bribes from the shopkeepers.

“Public service is my duty, and we’ve turned this vision into reality. We needed a dedicated force to monitor prices, and that’s how PERA was conceived. We also carried out indiscriminate anti-encroachment operations across Punjab,” the chief minister said.

Maryam Nawaz said that encroachments had made markets narrow and congested, creating harassment risks for women.

“We’ve made markets safer for women. PERA will begin operation in Lahore next week,” she added.

According to chief minister, PERA will not just be a force, but a revolution.

The chief minister announced that PERA will consist of over 8,000 personnel and it will be provided huge funds.

The chief minister highlighted that inflation, hoarding, and land mafias must be tackled head-on.

“Criminals are fleeing Punjab, and law and order have improved with the establishment of the Crime Control Department (CCD),” she said.