Lahore: The Punjab government is set to formally launch the Punjab Enforcement and Regulatory Authority (PERA) in Lahore Division on July 11, marking a major step toward improving civic order and tightening market oversight across the province.
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz will inaugurate the authority at an official ceremony at the Expo Centre, Lahore. She is also expected to address an audience of nearly 400 newly recruited enforcement and investigation officers who are undergoing professional training at the Punjab Police Training Centre in Chung. The training is scheduled to conclude by August 31.
Conceived as a specialised enforcement body, PERA has been tasked with implementing regulatory measures at the grassroots level. Its responsibilities include cracking down on profiteering, preventing hoarding of essential goods, eliminating illegal encroachments, and retrieving unlawfully occupied state and public lands.
Initially, the authority will operate in all 13 tehsils of Lahore Division. Officials confirmed that the rollout will be expanded to other divisions in a phased manner, depending on the success of its initial implementation.
What sets PERA apart from conventional enforcement agencies is its tech-driven approach. The authority’s field teams will be equipped with smart devices, body cameras, surveillance tools, and real-time reporting systems. These tools aim to promote transparency, ensure operational efficiency, and reinforce citizen trust in public institutions.
Director General PERA Capt (R) Farrukh, in a statement to The News, underscored the authority’s commitment to fair and non-intrusive enforcement. “We have only given batons and handcuffs to our enforcement staff. Firearms are restricted to officers, and even then, only pistols will be issued,” he said.
He clarified that PERA will not assume criminal law enforcement duties, which remain the jurisdiction of the police. Instead, its focus will be on administrative and regulatory violations, including price manipulation, illegal land occupation, and hoarding.
Addressing public speculation, Capt (R) Farrukh stated that PERA will not exercise any judicial or magisterial powers. “All judicial functions will continue to be performed by magistrates under the Lahore High Court’s supervision,” he said, reiterating the authority’s mandate as purely enforcement-based.
The launch of PERA is being described by officials as a “people-first” initiative. It aligns with the provincial government’s broader governance reform agenda, which aims to modernise public service delivery and reinforce rule of law through visible, lawful, and accountable enforcement.
Observers view PERA as a response to long-standing challenges such as weak regulatory compliance, unregulated market practices, and limited enforcement capacity. Its initial performance in Lahore Division is likely to shape the trajectory of its province-wide expansion in the months ahead.
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