Public decries lack of real relief amid soaring inflation

Rawalpindi:The public had been hoping for a significant reduction in petroleum product prices — at least by Rs10 to Rs15 per litre — following a drop in global crude oil rates. Unfortunately, those hopes were once again dashed. The dollar rate remains firm at Rs280.60, while gold prices continue to climb daily. In this inflation-stricken environment, how can the common man find relief? People from all walks of life expressed their frustration while speaking to The News here on Sunday.

The frustrated public has been knocking on every door for relief, but in vain. Meanwhile, the government continues to make grand, hollow announcements, claiming that poor citizens can easily avail interest-free loans of up to Rs5 million from banks. “But this is far from reality,” people said. Residents of Rawalpindi and Islamabad appreciated the Finance Minister's recent statement acknowledging that ordinary citizens are not benefiting from any relief measures.

Locals noted that while the government has reduced prices of certain vegetables such as potatoes, onions, and tomatoes, the prices of essential commodities like mutton, beef, and chicken remain exorbitantly high. Dr. Uzma Irfan, a resident of Rawalpindi, criticized the local administration, saying it had completely failed to maintain a system of checks and balances. “A common man is not only battling record inflation but also suffering from the worst kind of mismanagement in civic departments,” she added.

Fakhar Warraich, Chairman of the Metropolitan Corporation Rawalpindi (MCR) Labour Union, lamented the collapse of business activity, blaming it on the Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Rawalpindi. He pointed out that the DC has failed to conduct a District Planning and Design Committee (DPDC) meeting for over two years, approving only select cases for his favored people.

Municipal Officer (Planning) and Secretary of the DPDC, Sohail Aslam, admitted that affected citizens are frustrated due to the prolonged delay in convening DPDC meetings. Moin Akhtar, another local resident, strongly protested against the ongoing rule of corrupt officials in civic departments, including RDA, MCR, WASA, PHA, Revenue, Tehsil, Traffic Police, Police Department, Excise and Taxation, and Anti-Corruption. “All these departments are harassing the public while helpless citizens are forced to turn a blind eye to their corruption,” he said.

The so-called price magistrates, responsible for monitoring market prices, have abandoned their duties, leaving the public at the mercy of profiteers. They rarely visit markets, and no one holds them accountable.

Residents of Rawalpindi and Islamabad have appealed to Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif and Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz to provide real, meaningful relief to the public rather than artificial claims. "Sugar is selling at Rs180 per kilogram, mutton at Rs2500 per kilogram, beef at Rs1500, chicken meat at Rs830, milk at Rs240 per litre, and ghee at Rs570 per kilogram. Where is the relief?" they asked. “It seems the government is shutting all doors of relief on the public while making tall claims in press conferences and paperwork, which have no reality on the ground.”