Islamabad [Pakistan], August 3 (ANI): Soaring food prices across Pakistan’s Punjab province have ignited growing public frustration, as consumers are routinely forced to pay far more than the officially fixed rates for essential goods, The Express Tribune reported.
Despite the creation of new price monitoring units aimed at regulating market rates, enforcement has been largely ineffective. This has cast serious doubt on the Pakistan government’s ability to rein in food inflation and protect consumers from profiteering.
Prices of staple vegetables and poultry products remain far above government-sanctioned levels. In numerous local markets, not a single vegetable was found selling below PKR 200 per kilogram, highlighting the widening gulf between official rates and actual market prices.
In the poultry sector, the price gap was particularly stark. Live chicken was reportedly being sold for PKR 460 to PKR 480 per kilogram, despite the official price being lowered to a range of PKR 374 to PKR 388. Similarly, chicken meat set at PKR 562 per kilogram was being sold for PKR 570 to PKR 640, while boneless chicken fetched as much as PKR 1,200 per kilogram.
Vegetable prices have also skyrocketed. Premium potatoes, officially priced between PKR 80 and PKR 85, were selling for PKR 140 to PKR 150. A-grade onions, listed at PKR 50 to PKR 55, reached up to PKR 100. Tomatoes fixed at PKR 82 to PKR 90 were being sold for as much as PKR 150.
Garlic and ginger experienced some of the steepest price hikes. Garlic, officially priced at PKR 210 to PKR 260 per kilogram, was found selling at PKR 400. Ginger, with fixed rates of PKR 400 to PKR 460, climbed to PKR 600 to PKR 700 per kilogram.
Other vegetables such as cucumber (PKR 200/kg), brinjal (PKR 150/kg), bitter gourd (PKR 220/kg), and ladyfinger (PKR 240/kg) also significantly exceeded official price ceilings.
Fruit prices showed a similar pattern. Apples, officially listed between PKR 145 and PKR 265 per kilogram, were being sold for up to PKR 350. Bananas were priced PKR 50 to PKR 90 higher than the official rates, depending on quality. Even relatively common fruits like sweet melon, dates, and peaches have become inaccessible for middle-income families. Dates, officially priced between PKR 460 and PKR 490, were being sold for as much as PKR 2,000.
Although market inspection teams and price monitoring departments have been newly established, their failure to enforce pricing laws has drawn widespread criticism. Observers argue that these initiatives lack both the authority and the political will to penalize violators.
As food inflation continues to pressure household budgets—especially among lower- and middle-income populations—public confidence in the government’s economic management and regulatory oversight continues to erode, The Express Tribune reported. (ANI)
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