Soaring costs hit Iftar gatherings
The soaring prices have cast a shadow over traditional Iftar gatherings, with a staggering 60-70 per cent decline in community Iftar meals organised by philanthropists and local groups.
The few remaining Iftars in the city are now overwhelmed with crowds of underprivileged citizens, including women, children, and labourers.
Due to severe financial constraints, the district administration and government institutions have entirely scrapped their Iftar arrangements.
The sharp rise in the prices of essential Iftar itemsfruits, vegetables, meat, milk, dates, and fried snackshas discouraged many donors who previously set up roadside Iftar stalls across the city.
In previous years, citizens would gather at intersections, distributing small packets of dates and fritters to passing motorists and pedestrians. This year, however, these young volunteers have disappeared, their charitable efforts crippled by inflation.
Even former Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed, known for hosting 30 Iftar and Suhoor meals annually, has been forced to discontinue his long-standing tradition.
Political parties such as the PPP, PML-N, PML-Q, Jamaat-e-Islami, Awami Tehreek, and PTI, which previously arranged large-scale Iftars, have so far refrained from holding any such events.
Moving forward, they plan to organise only selective Iftar gatherings, limiting invitations to a chosen few.
With political Iftar events vanishing, many labourers and party workers have turned to mosques and Imambargahs for evening meals. However, unlike previous years, these religious spaces now only offer Iftar snacks without full meals.
For over 50 years, Iftar stalls were a common sight in bustling areas such as Murree Road, Faizabad, Sadar Bazaar, Moti Bazaar, and several neighbourhood streets.
Shopkeepers used to invite passersby to break their fasts with full meals.
Large mosques and public spaces, including Fawara Chowk, Liaquat Bagh, and Sunday Bazaar, hosted daily mass Iftars.
However, over the past three years, relentless inflation has dismantled these traditions.
The limited Iftars that do take place are now overcrowded, with double the expected number of people arriving, leaving many empty-handed.
The Citizen Action Committee's chairman, Zaheer Awan, lamented that inflation is consuming everything, including free Iftar meals once funded by the government.
"Even official institutions are financially crippled, and all government-funded Iftars have been banned," he added.
Lawyers, too, are feeling the pinch. Sardar Manzar Bashir, President of the District Bar Association, pointed out that hotel buffet prices have surged from Rs2,000-2,500 to over Rs5,000.
"Hosting an Iftar today costs anywhere between Rs1.5 to 2 million," he said.
Ghulam Qadir Mir, president of the Central Traders Association of Sabzi Mandi, suggested that the district administration and traders should collaborate to revive community Iftars. However, he admitted that large-scale arrangements are no longer feasible.
Even long-time community organizers have had to shut down operations. Tanveer Khan and Sharif Qureshi, who ran daily Iftars at Children's Park for 12 years, revealed that they could now only afford to host meals for one week.