Fifth hike in month sparks street demonstrations; 80 kg flour bag up by Rs.1,000
PESHAWAR:
A sharp rise in the prices of petroleum products has ignited twin crises in Peshawar and across Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, massive hikes in transport fares and soaring flour prices, while pushing angry transporters onto the streets in protest.
On Saturday, scores of transport operators gathered at Hajji Camp Terminal, where Peshawar shouted slogans demanding an immediate cut in petrol and diesel prices.
Addressing the rally, transport chief Zubair Ahmed Qureshi said the relentless fare hikes have “taken away even the courage to speak.”
“CNG is not available on one side and oil prices keep rising on the other,” Qureshi told protesters. “Eid is approaching, but hyperinflation has made shopping impossible. Unemployment had already crushed the poor. This is a major oppression of the low-income class. Flour is now beyond the reach of the common man. More inflation means burying people alive.”
The protest came as carriers confirmed their fifth round of price hikes in a single month after the latest fuel adjustment. AC vehicles saw the steepest increase, while non-AC bus prices rose by five percent. For journeys from Peshawar to Nowshera, Mardan, Abbottabad, Haripur, Swat and Malakand, fares have increased by Rs50 to 500. Long-distance passengers bound for Rawalpindi and Lahore will now pay up to Rs3,000 extra. City buses in Peshawar raised minimum fares by Rs10 to 30 and goods transport vehicles have followed suit.
Meanwhile, the fuel shock has also sent flour prices skyrocketing. An 80-kilo bag of flour has gone up by Rs1,000 rupees and now sells for up to Rs10,000 from 9,000. A 20 kilo bag costs 200 to 250 rupees more. High quality flour has touched Rs 11,000. per bag. Consumers report that rising flour costs are leading to reduced roti (bread) weights in local stores. Despite claims that red flour prices have remained stable, Afghan-run tandoor shops in Peshawar have been accused of reducing portion sizes and raising prices unfairly.
Traders noted that flour prices started rising following a recent ban on inter-provincial movement from Punjab. With unemployment already high and Eid spending looming, residents say the combined shock of expensive fuel, unaffordable flour and relentless price hikes has pushed the city’s poorest citizens to the brink of survival.
