High fuel prices add to households' woes

Poultry retailers in Lahore charge above official rates

LAHORE/RAWALPINDI:

Rising fuel prices, food costs and transport fares are adding to the financial strain on households in the country, with petrol prices increasing 26.11% and high-speed diesel 26.39% in the first nearly four months of FY2026-27.

Petrol prices rose to Rs377.71 per litre on October 24 from Rs299.50 on July 1, an increase of Rs78.21 per litre, according to available price records. High-speed diesel climbed to Rs393.66 per litre from Rs311.47 over the same period, an increase of Rs82.19.

Higher fuel costs are also increasing expenses for passenger transport, freight operators and the movement of agricultural produce, adding to pressure on household budgets and supply chains.

The price index for 51 essential commodities rose about 5.81% between July 2 and October 22, according to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics' weekly Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI), adding to the pressure on salaried workers, daily-wage earners, pensioners and low-income families.

The fresh surge in food and fuel prices squeezed household budgets across major cities as chicken is being sold for as much as Rs700 per kilogram, beef for Rs1,500 per kilogram in Karachi and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) has become Rs150 per kilogram more expensive.

The rising costs have also pushed up transport fares and raised the prospect of a Rs5 to Rs10 increase in the price of roti from next week, while consumers complain that authorities have failed to curb profiteering and provide relief.

In Karachi, soaring food prices have made it increasingly difficult for low- and middle-income households to afford even two meals a day. Chicken prices have risen by as much as Rs200 per kilogram during the current month, taking the price of chicken meat to Rs700 per kilogram.

Consumers say beef and mutton were already beyond their purchasing power, and chicken has now become increasingly unaffordable as well.

Beef is being sold in the open market for Rs1,200 per kilogram with bones and between Rs1,400 and Rs1,500 without bones. Heifer meat is available for Rs1,400 per kilogram with bones and between Rs1,600 and Rs1,700 without bones.

Consumers say meat is not available anywhere at the government-notified rates, while shopkeepers openly violate official price limits with little fear of action.

Flour prices have also added to the pressure on household budgets. 2.5-number flour is selling for Rs150 per kilogram, while flour milled at traditional stone mills, commonly known as 'chakki atta', costs Rs180 per kilogram.

Cooking oil has reached Rs600 per litre, following an increase of Rs40 per litre in the prices of edible oil and ghee over the past month.

Meanwhile, an increase of up to Rs150 per kilogram in LPG prices over the past week has further aggravated the cost-of-living crisis. The higher fuel costs have also led to increases in fares charged by rickshaws, taxis and Qingqi three-wheeled motorcycles.

Tandoor operators have warned that they may raise the price of roti by Rs5 to Rs10 from next week if LPG prices do not come down.

Bakery owners are also preparing to increase prices, citing higher gas costs and rising prices of flour and refined flour. Buns, rusks, sliced bread, biscuits and other bakery products are among the items whose prices are being raised.

Vegetable prices remain high in Karachi. Onions are selling for between Rs160 and Rs180 per kilogram, tomatoes for Rs100, carrots for Rs150, cucumbers for Rs100, peas for Rs400, okra for Rs250, round gourds for Rs300, bottle gourd and ridge gourd for Rs160, and spinach for Rs100 per kilogram.

Consumers complain that there is no effective check on rampant inflation, that official price lists are absent from markets and that profiteers are operating freely. They say the government has failed to provide relief from rising prices.

Similarly, in Lahore, the government-notified price of broiler chicken meat has reached Rs577 per kilogram, but retailers are selling it for Rs600 per kilogram, in violation of the official rate.

The district administration has been unable to prevent the overcharging.

Meanwhile, consumers in Rawalpindi and Islamabad are facing further increases in chicken and egg prices following earlier rises in the cost of vegetables, fruit, pulses, flour and gram flour.

In the open market, live chicken is selling for Rs450 per kilogram, chicken meat for Rs700 per kilogram and boneless chicken for Rs1,000 per kilogram.

Broiler eggs are priced at Rs265 per dozen, while local desi eggs are selling for Rs600 per dozen, adding to the difficulties faced by consumers.