LAHORE: To the relief of consumers the Karachi Port authorities have begun releasing consignments of pulses and the likely crisis of shortage of pulses during the month of Ramazan has averted.

Wholesale Grocers Association chairman Abdur Rauf Ibrahim tells a private TV channel that out of 7,000 containers of pulses 2,000 have been released by the port authorities.

To his astonishment, 20 per cent of the 50,000 tonne pulses imported as bulk through three vessels were released immediately by the port authorities, while containers of the same commodities were being blocked for `unknown` reasons.

He says that the importers have to pay $100 per day per container as detention charges to the foreign shipping companies but the port administrationis delayingclearance of the containers causing losses to the importers and the country.

He claims that so far $30 million detention charges have been imposed on the containers and warns that more delay in their release will increase the cost of the commodities to an unaffordable level affecting the poor consumers particularly during Ramazan when usage of pulses is at their peak. -Staf f Reporter