Food price rises before Ramazan - Karachi

The holy month of Ramazan is round the corner and price hike has been witnessed in majority of the places across the country. In Pakistan, it has become a norm that instead of providing relief, a sudden increase in the prices of essential items becomes effective. Lentils, spices, dates, and other food items are sold at high prices. The shop owners blame wholesalers for the increase in prices while the public blames price control committees for not performing their duties properly. Vendors and shopkeepers charge enormously on daily items and people are forced to buy due to unavailability of any substitute option. In Quetta, 15-30 percent increase in prices has been reported before Ramazan including lentils, rice, fruits and vegetables. According to vendors, price hike is due to the increased prices of petroleum products that increases the cost of transportation and as a result, people have to buy commodities at high prices. District administration of Quetta is facing problems in keeping prices under control due to the absence of price magistrate. However, teams have been constituted in order to conduct raids to control prices at food stalls. Efforts are being made along with traders to keep the prices under control.