The Sindh High Court (SHC) convened on Wednesday to examine a petition filed by milk retailers requesting an increase in their profit margins. During the proceedings, the government’s legal representative requested additional time to prepare and submit a formal response.
The petitioner’s counsel argued that the Commissioner of Karachi holds the legal authority to set milk prices. He also highlighted the issue of milk shops being sealed under the pretext of sanitary violations and urged the court to prevent further actions against these establishments.
In a notable exchange, the bench questioned the lawyer about the quality of milk sold at these shops. The court remarked that milk from these outlets often causes throat irritation. It advised the use of pure buffalo milk, emphasizing the noticeable difference in quality. The bench further observed that milk sold in the city is widely adulterated.
The petitioner’s lawyer explained that shopkeepers resort to adulteration due to the government’s failure to establish fair pricing. He suggested that adulteration could be detected simply by boiling the milk. The judge responded by inviting the parties to present milk samples in court for testing, promising to identify any adulteration through smell.
The court decided to postpone the next hearing until May 5. This case follows a recent Rs 20 per litre increase in milk prices. The Karachi Commissioner had set the dairy farmer price at Rs 215 per litre, the wholesale price at Rs 225 per litre, and the retail price for consumers at Rs 240 per litre. This pricing adjustment came after a meeting between the Commissioner and a delegation of Karachi dairy farmers, who justified the hike by citing soaring production costs.
