Sit-ins : Price hike, not marches worries the poor

ISLAMABAD:

Saira frowns as she is asked about the ongoing political chaos in the capital.

The 16-year-old housemaid, who supports a family of twelve, is more concerned about the current spike in prices of food items than the success and failure of the ongoing sit-ins by political parties in the federal capital.

“It is hard to cope with such high prices. Instead of two meals a day, we have to do with one meal a day now,” she lamented.

With a monthly income of about Rs5,000, it is hard for Najma’s family to fulfill their growing needs.

The prices of vegetables skyrocketed on August 14, when cucumber was being sold for Rs120 a kilogramme, lemons Rs300 and zucchini for Rs150 in various vegetable markets.

The prices have been fluctuating since depending on the blockades. “We are not making any profit, since we buy vegetables at a very high rate from the main vegetable markets due to the ongoing situation,” stated a vendor in the G-6 market.

He said vendors were facing additional loss when people do not come out to but and they rot.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 20^th,2014.