Punjab Home Department has restored the price magistracy system, ending a gap of decades, to control inflation and regulate essential commodity prices across the province.

Nine full-time Price Magistrates have been formally appointed in Lahore, operating under Section A14 of the Code of Criminal Procedure with round-the-clock authority to enforce price controls.

The magistrates are mandated to curb hoarding and black-market activity, ensuring that food and essential commodities remain available to the public at regulated and fair prices.

Similar appointments are expected in Rawalpindi, with the announcement scheduled to take place before the presentation of the provincial budget in the coming weeks.

The provincial government of Punjab has announced plans to expand the Price Magistrate system to all 44 districts of the province, beginning from the 2026–27 financial year.

The original Price Magistrate system was abolished during the second tenure of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, following a judicial ruling issued by former Chief Justice Sajjad Ali Shah.

Following that ruling, all powers and cases previously handled by price magistrates were formally transferred to civil judges, where they have remained for nearly 20 years.