Pakistan: People voice concern over persistent rise in food prices across Punjab

Islamabad, Oct 30 (IANS) People have voiced concern over the continuous surge in food prices and the district administration's inability to implement official rates in Faisalabad city of Pakistan's Punjab province, saying essential commodities have become increasingly unaffordable for low-income households, local media reported on Friday.

People have said that price-control magistrates and the Punjab Enforcement and Regulatory Authority (PERA) Force have failed to stop profiteering and alleged artificial increase in prices despite government claims that it has taken measures to provide relief to the people, Pakistan-based daily The Express Tribune reported.

Muhammad Ali, a resident, said the increasing price of essential commodities has made it increasingly difficult for ordinary families to buy two meals a day.

He said that wheat is being sold in the market for Pakistani Rupees (PKR) 5,400 to PKR 5,600 per maund, in comparison to the official rate of PKR 3,800 per maund.

The price of a 15 kilogram of bag of fine flour was being sold at over PKR 2,500 while flour from local mills was selling between PKR 165-170 per kilogram, increasing financial burden on working-class households.

Zakia Khanum, another resident, said that continuous inflation and unemployment were increasing difficulties for households.

Khanum said that the administration and PERA department in Faisalabad division have failed to curb prices effectively, The Express Tribune reported.

Another resident said that prices of vegetables like tomatoes, onions and ginger have surged sharply. People have said that mutton, chicken, eggs, milk, fruits and vegetables are being sold at rates determined by individual shopkeepers despite the official price list.

Earlier this month, Pakistan was ranked second-worst in South Asia on the Global Hunger Index (GHI) 2026 with a score of 25.5, trailing only Afghanistan, showcasing the country's deteriorating food insecurity and malnutrition challenges, local media reported.

The report published on the GHI website stated, "With a 2026 Global Hunger Index score of 25.5, Pakistan has a serious level of hunger," Pakistan's Geo News reported.

Pakistan was only behind Afghanistan, which had a score of 28.6 on the GHI. Pakistan was placed at the 106th position out of 122 countries globally on the GHI. Pakistan's score dropped from 36.2 in 2002 to 25.5 in 2026, showing some improvement, as per the report. The GHI score of Pakistan is based on four components: child stunting, undernourishment, child wasting and child mortality.

--IANS

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