SHANGLA – Like other districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Shangla has also witnessed a sharp increase in flour prices, with a 20-kilogram bag currently being sold for Rs2,950 to Rs3,000. In most remote areas, the price has crossed the Rs3,000 mark.
The continuous increase in fuel prices has led to a persistent rise in the prices of food items and other daily-use commodities, further aggravating the difficulties faced by inflation-hit citizens. Low-income earners and employees working in the private sector are particularly under severe financial stress and are finding it increasingly difficult to feed their children, meet household expenses and even manage two meals a day under the prevailing circumstances.
According to traders from different areas of Shangla, they are purchasing a 20kg bag of flour for around Rs2,900 and are compelled to sell it for Rs2,950 to Rs3,000. In far-flung areas, the same bag is being sold for more than Rs3,000 due to transportation and other additional costs.
Expressing concern over the price hike, traders said that alleged restrictions or hurdles imposed by the Punjab government on the inter-provincial transportation and trade of wheat and flour were having a direct impact on markets in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, making the situation more alarming in terms of both availability and prices.
Traders said that while fuel prices continued to rise, the prices of flour, ghee, sugar, pulses and other essential commodities were also going beyond the purchasing power of the common man. Rising daily expenses have shattered the household budgets of middle- and low-income families, while limited business activity and rising unemployment have left people with little or no increase in their incomes.
They said the most affected were employees working for meagre salaries in private institutions, shops, markets and other sectors. Most low-level employees earn around Rs30,000 a month or even less, while in the current inflationary situation, it has become extremely difficult to meet the basic expenses of a family on such an income. Under these circumstances, providing even two meals a day for their children has become a major challenge for low-income employees.
According to traders and citizens, employees who commute daily on motorcycles are also facing severe hardship due to rising fuel prices.
For those earning low salaries, even refuelling their motorcycles has become difficult. At the same time, they have to bear daily transportation expenses to reach their workplaces. Many low-income employees are struggling to balance household expenses with the cost of commuting to work due to their limited resources.
They said that, in addition to the rising prices of flour and other food items, electricity, gas and water bills, children’s school fees, medical treatment and other essential expenses had placed the poor and salaried classes under severe mental and financial pressure. On the one hand, payment of school fees is necessary to ensure that children continue their education; on the other, household rations, utility bills and other basic necessities are equally indispensable. However, due to limited incomes, meeting all these expenses has become a daunting task for ordinary employees.
Expressing concern over the Punjab government’s measures, traders said that under Article 151 of the Constitution, any hurdles created in inter-provincial trade and the movement of essential commodities could directly affect ordinary citizens.
