Profiteers welcome Ramazan with record price hike

Rawalpindi: The profiteers have increased prices of almost all essential Iftar food items with helpless consumers looking towards the government to keep an eye on the skyrocketing prices.

According to the details, most of the shopkeepers have increased prices of fruits, dates, ‘samosas’, ‘pakoras’, ‘kachooris’, juices, ‘chaat’ and ‘dahi bare’ everywhere in the city. Arshad Lone, a customer at Commercial Market, said “This food outlet was selling samosas at Rs480 per dozen till yesterday. Now it has increased its per dozen rate to Rs. 550 on the very first day of Ramazan. It is simply cruelty with the customers and exploitation on the part of the sellers.” It is pertinent to mention here that when shopkeepers increased the prices of fruit in the month of Ramazan in 2017, people from all over the country called for a three-day boycott of fruit vendors.

Imran Yaqoob, a resident of Rawalpindi, said “I have seen messages on social media by a non-governmental organization that has urged the residents of Karachi to boycott all those food items that are not being sold at official rates.” “We should also initiate this campaign in our city. It can gain momentum if people start sharing posts on social media related to the boycott of costly food items. This cruelty will continue in every Ramazan to come if the people never stand united and take part in these kinds of campaigns,” he said.

Irfan Banori, a shopkeeper, said “The boycott by the end consumers cannot yield desired results. The wholesalers work in league with one another and fix prices ahead of Ramazan. The prices will drop only when retailers boycott the wholesalers and force them to bring down prices.”