Daily Times

The coalition government’s apologies for dragging an overwhelming majority of Pakistanis through an unendurable pain have started to ring hollow as bad news on inflation keeps coming. The lightning climb from last August’s 8.4 per cent to 27.26 per cent (the highest in 49 years) would not be easy to stomach for those who spend their days traumatised by whether to put bread on the table, pay the utilities or keep the family clothed.

Mere survival has become a blood-stained exercise against stiff competition. The ongoing wave of catastrophic flash floods has ensured everyday essentials remain out of reach of the ordinary. Having submerged a third of the country, the monsoon season has sent food prices soaring, especially those of vegetables such as tomatoes and onion, which in turn, has driven up SPI inflation by a back-breaking 45 per cent.

News reports of the government mulling over a strategy to import edible items from India were being said to ease off pressure soon, but apparently, populist politics do not understand the plight of millions. A recent announcement by the foreign office has categorically denied any likelihood of opening such a “cost-effective” window.

The direct import of vegetables through Wagah could have worked wonders by stabilising the domestic market and offering a little relief to people who were wading through shortages and the wrath of profiteers for must-haves.

On the other hand, the Sharif government has once again decided to raise up to Rs 10.92 per litre in the prices of petroleum products for the next two weeks. Their highly-trumpeted sneer on the previous administration for faulty policies may assure them a good night’s sleep but cannot help them evade blame in the eyes of the public.

All fanfare over the IMF win would amount to nothing if the sweeteners don’t start trickling to the masses sometime soon. Utter economic chaos has been wreaking havoc upon modest savings and for months on end. There has to be a limit to one’s patience. *