'Inflation making life unbearable for poor'

Sardar Abdul Rahim urges government to curb profiteering

KARACHI:

Pakistan Muslim League-Functional (PML-F) Sindh Secretary General Sardar Abdul Rahim has expressed serious concern over rising inflation, saying the government's claims of a bumper wheat crop are at odds with soaring prices of wheat, flour, sugar, milk, vegetables and other essential commodities.

In a statement, the PML-F leader said there was a "huge gap" between the government's claims and the situation on the ground, with inflation making it increasingly difficult for poor and working-class families to afford even two meals a day.

He blamed the government's "incompetence, flawed economic policies and failure to control artificial inflation" for the worsening situation.

Abdul Rahim said officials responsible for price control and relevant institutions appeared to be failing to perform their duties, while profiteers and hoarders were operating freely in markets and ordinary citizens were bearing the brunt of rising prices. "If the government and its institutions cannot control the prices of essential commodities, they should acknowledge their failure instead of leaving the people helpless," he said.

The PML-F leader also criticised repeated increases in petroleum prices, saying higher fuel costs were driving up transport fares as well as prices of food and other daily-use items. He urged the government to immediately reduce prices of flour, wheat, sugar, milk, vegetables and other essential commodities, activate the price-control mechanism and take strict action against hoarders and profiteers.