Soaring prices push citizens to the brink
RAWALPINDI:
Households across Pakistan continue to grapple with a staggering 30-40 per cent hike in the prices of essential commodities. Despite government interventions, inflation relentlessly impacted every aspect of daily life, leaving citizens reeling.
Efforts to stabilise prices failed, with manufacturers adopting subtle tactics like reducing the quantity in packaged goods without lowering costs.
For instance, a 1-kilogramme pack of tea now weighs 900 grams, while sacks of flour and other staple goods have similarly shrunk in weight. Yet, prices remain unaffected, if not higher, exposing consumers to an ongoing squeeze.
A snapshot of last year's price escalation reveals the grim reality.
Rice, which sold for Rs280 per kilogramme in January 2024, now costs Rs380. Ghee has jumped from Rs450 to Rs550, while cooking oil climbed from Rs500 to Rs560.
Pulses like Black Lentils saw a meteoric rise from Rs350 to Rs560 per kilogramme.
Similarly, milk prices inched up from Rs200 to Rs220 per litre, and spices now cost Rs500 per kilogramme, up from Rs350 at the year's start.
Other items have followed the same trend. Ginger, garlic, bakery goods, and even roti and naan have seen price hikes that disproportionately affect consumers.
A cup of tea, which was Rs50 last December, now costs Rs80, while naan prices rose from Rs25 to Rs30.
Tandoor (oven) operators cite increased flour costs and subsidy cuts for the shrinking size of red flour bread, forcing labourers to double their purchase just to meet their basic dietary needs.
The situation has been exacerbated by spiralling fuel costs, with petrol and diesel prices directly impacting transportation and supply chain expenses.
Central Grocery Merchants Association President Saleem Pervaiz Butt attributed the inflation to a combination of rising fuel prices, government taxation, and a weakening rupee.
He warned that the trend shows no signs of abating.
Efforts like the Punjab government's "Sasta Sahulat Bazaars" have also failed to provide relief, with 16 markets and 24 subsidised cart bazaars shutting down due to mismanagement and soaring costs.
Even official price lists issued by the District Market Committee (DPC) have become unreliable, with open-market rates often exceeding them by Rs40 to Rs100.
With no immediate solutions in sight, the relentless rise in living costs paints a bleak picture for the coming year, particularly for low-income groups who bear the brunt of inflation's crushing weight.
The crisis extends beyond food. Livestock prices have surged dramatically, with buffaloes now costing Rs0.8 million to Rs1 milliona steep increase from last year's Rs0.5 million to Rs0.6 million range.
This rise is attributed to a 300 per cent hike in fodder costs, as per Chaudhry Khurram, Vice President of the Cattle Union.
Shafiq Qureshi, President of the Nanbai Association, highlighted that flour prices continue to climb monthly, predicting even higher rates in 2025. The cost of a 50-kilogram sack of flour has already risen from Rs6,900 to Rs9,000 this year alone.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Express Tribune
20 hours ago
- Express Tribune
Punjab unveils Rs50b shrimp farming expansion plan
The Punjab government has launched an expansive Rs50 billion plan to scale up shrimp farming across the province, aiming to transform the sector into a major contributor to the local economy and export earnings. Key components of the initiative include the development of a model fish market in Lahore and three state-of-the-art shrimp value chain estates in South Punjab's Muzaffargarh district. According to the Department of Fisheries, a 3,000-acre shrimp farming site will be established in Rakh Ali Wala, Muzaffargarh, with an initial investment of Rs10 billion. Additionally, value chain estates in Head Muhammad Wala, Rakh Ali Wala, and Shahgarh will be developed at a combined cost of Rs40 billion. The Punjab government has earmarked Rs3 billion in the upcoming fiscal budget to initiate these projects. Deputy Director of Fisheries Tayyab Rizwan stated that the value chain estates will be fully integrated, featuring hatcheries, feed mills, and shrimp processing plants. These facilities are expected to not only enhance shrimp production but also generate employment and stimulate seafood exports. In Lahore, the government plans to construct a modern model fish market at a projected cost of Rs10 billion. The facility will include cold storage, value addition units, and a streamlined supply chain network to improve market access for fish and shrimp farmers. An initial budget allocation of Rs848.6 million has been approved to commence construction.
Business Recorder
a day ago
- Business Recorder
Sindh Assembly: heated debate on budget continues
KARACHI: Heated and emotional speeches marked the fifth consecutive day of budget deliberations in the Sindh Assembly on Friday, as treasury slammed the federal government for slashing Sindh's share in the National Finance Commission (NFC) by Rs100 billion. Meanwhile, opposition lawmakers raised alarm bells over potential misuse of budget funds and deteriorating living standards for the poor. The session, presided over by Deputy Speaker Anthony Naveed, began with sparse attendance of only seven members but the number increased as proceedings progressed. Several provincial ministers joined the debate, presenting departmental reviews and outlining upcoming development initiatives for fiscal year 2025–26. Speaking from the treasury benches, senior PPP leader Nisar Ahmed Khuhro revealed that acting Governor Owais Qadir Shah had been barred from entering the Governor's House. 'The Governor House is being treated like private property,' Khuhro lamented, labelling Governor Kamran Tessori an 'encroacher.' He demanded a formal resolution in the Assembly to uphold constitutional protocol and expressed strong disapproval of the term 'Muhajir' being spray-painted on the building during Tessori's tenure. Khuhro further accused the federal government of undermining Sindh by cutting Rs100 billion from its NFC share. MQM lawmaker Abdul Waseem, meanwhile, delivered a scathing critique of the budget, asserting that 50 percent of the proposed funds would fall prey to corruption and fail to improve the lives of ordinary citizens. Though he credited Transport Minister Sharjeel Memon for introducing new buses to Karachi, he said they were inadequate. 'Karachi needs at least 1,000 new buses.' A major portion of Friday's proceedings centred on the treatment of acting Governor Owais Qadir Shah. Former Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani condemned the incident, calling it an 'insult to the Speaker's chair,' and demanded an official apology from the Governor for violating constitutional norms. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Zia Ul Hassan Lanjar echoed the concerns, revealing that Shah had been unable to perform his duties for the past 22 days because Governor Tessori had locked the offices and taken the keys with him to Saudi Arabia. Lanjar read out a court order instructing the reopening of the offices and criticized the irony that the 'bell of justice' at the Governor House could not ring for the acting governor himself. 'If this continues, dignity will vanish from all offices, and only hollow titles like 'Governor' will remain,' Lanjar warned. He urged the Chief Minister to intervene and hold those responsible accountable. In response, MQM's Taha Ahmed Khan attributed the issue to 'miscommunication and misunderstanding,' cautioning against politicising the matter. 'We condemn how this issue is being used against Governor Kamran Tessori,' he said, reaffirming MQM's respect for the office and their pride in their identity as descendants of Pakistan's founders. Provincial Minister Ali Hassan Zardari highlighted that 48 new development schemes had been included in the budget, while Industries Minister Jam Ikram Dharejo declared that Rs5 billion had been earmarked for road development in Karachi's SITE industrial area. He also announced the launch of Phase 3 of the Nooriabad Industrial Zone and asserted Sindh's constitutional right to gas resources extracted from its soil. Rehabilitation Minister Makhdoom Mehboob Zaman reported a 12 percent increase in Sindh's revenue collection and emphasised that no other party had served Karachi as diligently as the PPP. He noted that 64 out of 164 RO plants were currently functional in Matiari and mobile service units were active across all districts. Jamaat-e-Islami MPA Muhammad Farooq issued a dire warning about the escalating water crisis in Karachi, stating, 'The world's first water war may begin here.' He criticized the Sindh government for not prioritizing the K-IV water project in its federal demands and pointed out the limited Rs123billion allocation for local governments. Farooq also urged the government to invest in desalination technology and questioned the effectiveness of the so-called 'Shehbaz Speed,' which, he argued, had brought no tangible benefit to Karachi. PPP MPA Imdad Pitafi called for maturity on both sides of the aisle, describing the opposition as a necessary 'mirror' for any government but warning against cultivating distrust. 'There will be no Pakistan without unity,' he said. 'We must think collectively for Sindh and Pakistan.' Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Express Tribune
a day ago
- Express Tribune
Traders announce halting sugar sales over govt failure
The Karyana Merchant Association Punjab has strongly condemned the continued and devastating rise in sugar prices, attributing the crisis to the government's complete failure to intervene. In response, the association has announced a province-wide halt in sugar sales at all grocery stores and has appealed to the public across the country to boycott sugar and instead use alternatives such as jaggery (gur) and unrefined sugar (shakkar). The association described the control of sugar prices as "extremely difficult," noting that in the open market, sugar prices have surged to Rs190 per kg in urban areas and up to Rs200 per kg in suburban and rural regions. According to Sheikh Rizwan Shaukat, the central general secretary of the Karyana Merchant Association, and Saleem Pervaiz Butt, the president of the Rawalpindi Division, both the federal and Punjab governments have proven utterly powerless and ineffective in curbing sugar prices. Wholesale sugar prices are increasing daily by Rs100 to Rs300 per bag. They alleged that a powerful sugar mafia is exploiting the nation while small grocery shop owners are being unfairly targeted through fines and legal action. They further criticised the inconsistent sugar policies — allowing export at one time and import at another — as mechanisms for profiteering. Despite repeated meetings with senior officials and ministers over the past two months to alert them to the exploitation occurring in the name of sugar, the authorities have failed to take any effective action. Now, the association says, they are left with no other option but to halt sugar sales altogether to avoid heavy fines, penalties, and arrests.
