Complain to PERA in Punjab About Hoarding, Overcharging or Encroachment

Short answer: to report hoarding, overcharging, an encroachment or a public nuisance in Punjab to the Punjab Enforcement and Regulatory Authority (PERA), use the complaint form at pera.punjab.gov.pk/complaint. It asks for a subject, your complaint, your CNIC, address and mobile number. You can also go to your nearest enforcement station: PERA lists 154 of them across Punjab.

This matters now because of flour. On 10 October 2026 the chief minister called an emergency meeting on wheat and flour prices, and the Punjab Food Department says action is being taken against hoarding and profiteering. Hoarding and price control are two of the laws PERA enforces.

We opened PERA's website and the law it publishes there. Here is what PERA can act on, how to complain, and what happens after you do.

PERA enforces five Punjab laws, including hoarding and price control

PERA is a provincial enforcement body set up under the Punjab Enforcement and Regulation Act 2024. Its website says its focus is inflation and encroachment. The law text on its site lists five "scheduled laws" that PERA enforces.

The same law also gives PERA powers over public nuisance and encroachment. An encroachment is anything built or placed on public land or a road without permission, such as a shop extended onto a footpath.

The chief minister chairs PERA's authority and the chief secretary is vice chair. Its Director General is Capt. Farrukh Atiq Khan, the website says.

How to file a PERA complaint online

The online form is short and does not need an account. Write the complaint so an officer can find the place without calling you.

1. Open pera.punjab.gov.pk and click Complaints, or go straight to pera.punjab.gov.pk/complaint.
2. Write a short subject, such as "Flour hoarding, warehouse, Shahdara".
3. In the feedback box, give the exact address, a landmark, the date you saw it, and what is happening.
4. Enter your CNIC in the format shown, your address and your mobile number.
5. Add an email address if you want a written reply.
6. Solve the simple maths question and press Submit.

The form has no upload button. Keep your photos and receipts on your phone, because an officer may ask for them later.

PERA has 154 enforcement stations across Punjab

You can also complain in person. PERA lists enforcement stations at four levels on its website, which add up to 154 on our count.

Lahore's 10 stations are Allama Iqbal Town, Lahore Cantt, Lahore City, Model Town, Nishtar, Raiwind, Ravi, Saddar, Shalimar and Wagha. The website lists station names but not their phone numbers or addresses, so ask at your deputy commissioner's office if you cannot find one.

What happens after you complain

Under the law text PERA publishes, an enforcement officer visits the site, inspects it and hears the people involved. If the officer finds a nuisance, they issue an Emergency Prohibition Order, or EPO, telling the offender what to fix and by when.

The offender then has 15 days to comply or to challenge the order before a hearing officer. If they do neither, the officer can:

• remove the nuisance or encroachment;
• impose a fine;
• confiscate goods and take them to the enforcement station;
• seal the premises;
• arrest the offender for unpaid fines, repeat offences or obstruction;
• file a complaint and get an FIR registered.

If you, as the complainant, are unhappy with what an officer did, the law lets you go to the hearing officer within 30 days. A later appeal goes to the divisional commissioner, then to court. A separate grievance officer hears complaints that a PERA officer misused their power.

One caution. The text on PERA's website is the bill as recommended by an assembly committee in 2024. The final Act may differ in places, so treat section details as a guide and not as legal advice.

Which office to use for which problem

PERA is not the only door, and sometimes it is not the fastest. Pick the office that owns the problem.

For a single shop overcharging you, the price control line is quicker, as our walkthrough on how to report overcharging in Punjab explains. For bad food, the Punjab Food Authority's 1223 complaint line is the right place. And if a provincial office ignores you completely, the Pakistan Citizen Portal is the fallback.

Flour is the reason many people are looking for PERA this month, after the flour price rise across Pakistan in early October.

Common questions

What is PERA in Punjab?

PERA is the Punjab Enforcement and Regulatory Authority, set up under a 2024 Punjab law. It enforces laws on hoarding, price control, encroachment and some land matters through enforcement stations.

How do I complain to PERA?

Use the form at pera.punjab.gov.pk/complaint, or visit your nearest enforcement station. The form needs your CNIC and mobile number.

Can I report flour hoarding to PERA?

Yes. The Punjab Prevention of Hoarding Act 2020 is one of the five laws PERA enforces. Give the exact address of the shop or warehouse.

Does PERA have a helpline number?

We did not find a PERA helpline on its website on 10 October 2026. For overcharging, use 0800-02345, which the Lahore price control notice lists.

Can I upload photos with a PERA complaint?

No, the online form has no upload field. Keep your photos and share them if an officer contacts you.

How we verified this

What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.

Last checked on 10 October 2026 at about 20:15 PKT. We read the PERA complaint form, its home page, enforcement station lists and legal framework page, and the Punjab Enforcement and Regulation Bill 2024 text published on the PERA website. We did not submit a complaint, so response times are not confirmed.