Pindiites lambast govt for failing in checking inflation

Rawalpindi : The government has literally failed to resolve all public related issues particularly to control ever-increasing inflation and its failure is likely to have an impact on the result of the next general elections, people belong to all walks of life told ‘The News’ here on Sunday.

Exactly three years ago Imran Khan swept to power with a promise for ‘Naya Pakistan’, but today there is widespread dissatisfaction among the people mainly because of rising prices, citizens said.

It merits mentioning here that the residents of the city have shown their anger against the ruling party in cantonment board elections in which PTI completely failed to win even a single seat from Rawalpindi Cantonment Board (RCB). The PML-N won seven seats out of nine while two seats were won by independent candidates. Similarly, PML-N also emerged as a leading political party from Chaklala Cantonment Board (CCB) winning five seats out of a total of 10 seats while PTI got only two seats. Two seats were won by (JI) and one seat was won by an independent candidate. This result was due to PTI's wrong policies against the public for over three years.

The local management in Rawalpindi has also surrendered before ‘Inflation Mafia’ and increased the rates of milk, yogurt, meat, roti, and several other eatables in its notification issued by the Deputy Commissioner.

According to Notification No IPWM/RWP/320 issued by Deputy Commissioner (DC) Rawalpindi Muhammad Ali in which he fixed the rate of milk at Rs130 against Rs90, yogurt at Rs140 against Rs100, mutton at Rs1,000 against Rs800, beef at Rs500 against Rs450, Daal Channa at Rs145, White Channa at Rs180, Daal Moong at Rs140, Daal Masoor at Rs180, Daal Mash at Rs226 and Rice at Rs140.

The Deputy Commissioner has fixed the rate of ‘Roti’ at Rs7 and ‘Naan’ at Rs10 but in which area a ‘Roti’ was selling at Rs7 and a ‘Naan’ at Rs10. The Deputy Commissioner (DC), Rawalpindi neither fixed the rate of a 20-kilogram bag ‘atta’ nor Ghee/Cooking Oil mentioned in the notification ‘As Notified by Provincial Government’. In fact, the Provincial Government has not fixed the ex-mill rate of ‘atta’ for over three years while ghee/cooking oil owners have been given a free hand to increase rates as per their wish.

The citizens named Sahid Mehmood, Niaz Ahmed, Yawar Hayat, Muhammad Mukhtar, Nazia Minhas, Fawad Ahmed, Shakila Fatima, Dr. Uzma Irfan, and several others in the state of anger said that Prime Minister Imran Khan promised a welfare state but derailed economy has forced him on the back foot, leading to most of his promises remaining unfulfilled. The Pakistani rupee is continuously dropping and inflation is continuously soaring but the ruling party as per habit not taking it seriously, they said.

The economy experts said that situation in Pakistan was worse than the days of the ‘global boycott’ of the country following nuclear tests in the late nineties. But the dangerous thing is that the ruling party was not ready to accept the factual position. How the situation would improve when the ruling party was not ready to accept the reality, the economy experts warned.

All Pakistan Traders Association (Punjab) President Shirjeel Mir said that all indicators were warning ruling party to work but in vain. All businesses have been ruined while purchasing power of a common man has dwindled due to the high inflation ratio, he said.

The aftershocks of POL prices have broken the back of a common man here in the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad.

According to the market data available with ‘The News’, vegetables and fruits are being sold at skyrocketing prices even in Sunday Bazaars. One kilogram of onion is being sold at Rs60, potato at Rs50, peas at Rs190, capsicum at Rs140, Ladyfinger at Rs100, bitter gourd at Rs100, Cabbage at Rs100, Ginger at Rs400, Garlic at Rs200 per kilogram. Similarly, one-kilogram apple is being sold at Rs150, Grapes at Rs300, Banana at Rs80 and peaches at Rs250.

The poor community was wandering here and there in search of cheaper prices of ‘atta’ and ghee but in vain.

Muhammad Iqbal, a poor man said that to bear daily expenses, it was necessary for him to earn at least Rs1,500 or Rs2,000 but I earn hardly Rs500 to Rs800. How I could survive in this situation. In the light of all these circumstances, I did not poll vote for the PTI government in Cantonment Board elections, he said. “People are exhausted from the burden of food and fuel inflation and millions have become food insecure due to unemployment,” he said.

Meanwhile, many people could be seen standing in queues of free food distribution points. Although these points were meant to feed the destitute and those in need. But inflation has forced many families who lost their jobs or income opportunities recently have also been visiting these points to get food for their families.