Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: On the reopening of the Pak-Afghan border, a specific mafia is taking away vegetables and poultry to Afghanistan due to which the price of edible items have raised unexpectedly adding to the worries of the common man.

Currently in the local market tomatoes are being sold at the rate of Rs 150 per kg, potato Rs 70, cabbage Rs 60, fresh beans Rs 100, brinjals Rs 100 while chicken meat is being sold at Rs 370 per kg.

The residents of the capital have expressed their severe concern over the price hike of the edibles especially vegetables and said that the prices of edibles haf increased some 155 % during the last three months. Talking to “Online”, a citizen Nabeel Ahmed said that it seemed by the current wave of the price hike of the edibles that vegetables, pulses and fruit were being smuggled to Afghanistan.

Muhammad Iqbal Ghori, a trader of Aabpara market said that the inappropriate policies of incumbent government had greatly affected his business and it had even become impossible to pay even the monthly rent of the shop. Chaudhry Muhammad Sami, a government employee said that salaries had not been increased for the last three years by the government and now the purchase of onions and potatos had become difficult for “us” due to inflation. Now the school fees of the children and domestic expenditure were becoming unaffordable for us. The number of women during the survey expressed their concern over the situation and said that due to inflation, price hike and low income, domestic disputes had become a routine matter of daily life.

They further said that the existing government had promised the people during its election campaign to eradicate inflation and the price hike but it seems that the government was pushing the poor people to death. Zaheer Ahmed Abbasi, a taxi driver said that the drivers’ community expressed happiness and satisfaction over the reduction of prices of petroleum products and have removed the CNG engine from their vehicles but now the prices of petroleum products had jumped suddenly.

Owing to this situation, it had become impossible for them to meet their daily essential requirements. The traders of the major markets of the federal capital including Melody, Jinnah Super and Super Market told “Online” that the purchase of vegetables was out of the purchasing power of the common folks and even the prices of pulses had boosted up without any announcement. They further said that rate lists were not exhibited on shops.