RAWALPINDI:
Record inflation and falling purchasing power have led to a sharp decline in political and social iftar gatherings across the city during Ramazan this year.
The long-standing tradition of having “30 iftars and 30 sehris” throughout the month has almost disappeared.
The prices of items used for sehri and iftar have increased to the point where they are beyond the purchasing power of many people. As a result, political and social gatherings for iftar have declined significantly across the city. Government-funded iftar events were also banned due to the severe financial crisis, putting an end to formal social and political gatherings.
A large number of poor people who are fasting are now forced to break their fast in mosques and imambargahs.
Iftar deals at government-run social markets only provide enough to break the fast and do not fully satisfy hunger.
For decades, the former interior minister and Awami Muslim League leader organized a regular program of 30 iftars and 30 sehris every Ramadan in Rawalpindi. The number of events declined last year and this year the program is almost complete, with only a few token iftars held. Not a single political sehri program took place in the first 15 days of Ramadan.
Over the past two weeks, only a few low-key political iftar rallies have been held in the city, and even those offered significantly reduced menus, limited to dishes such as chicken pakoras, naan and dates.
None of the major political parties – including the Pakistan People’s Party, Pakistan Muslim League-N, Pakistan Muslim League-Q, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and Tehreek-e-Labbaik – have yet organized a grand iftar for workers in the city or cantonment areas.
In the last 15 days, only three political iftar events were held in the city and cantonment, and even these had a very limited number of guests, with many local workers and leaders not invited.
Workers attending small iftar events organized by traders and social figures on the streets, near hospitals and in markets said they still had to organize dinner themselves afterward because the iftar meals were insufficient.
PPP City Chairman Mian Khurram Rasool said a grand iftar for party workers would be organized soon after consultation with the management.
PML-N city president and former mayor Sardar Naseem Khan said the party would organize iftar gatherings in the city between 20th and 28th of Ramadan.
Catering association vice-president Shaukat Ali confirmed that very few sehri and iftar orders were received this year. “Previously, we had no free time and all bookings were finalized before the start of Ramadan,” he explained, adding that inflation and political uncertainty were the main reasons for the decline.
Hotel and Restaurant Association president Farooq Chaudhry also said there were hardly any sehri events this year and iftar gatherings had declined sharply.
Maqbool Khan and Chaudhry Ikram, long-time political workers, said that in the past, workers were invited to iftar or sehri daily, but in the first two weeks of Ramadan this year, only one such gathering took place.
Ramazan price surge defies control measures
RAWALPINDI: Measures introduced to control prices have proven largely ineffective as vendors at the Rawalpindi open market have started charging arbitrary rates for beef, mutton, chicken, fruits and vegetables.
Except for potatoes, virtually all essential food items have become more expensive and inflation has soared as the 17th day of Ramazan approaches.
Adding to public concern, a significant increase in oil prices ahead of Eidul Fitr is expected to trigger another sharp wave of inflation in the open market.
Seven days of the second ten days (Ashra) of Ramazan have already passed, but all efforts made so far to curb price rise in the open market have not yielded significant results. At present, bone-in beef sells for Rs 1,400 per kilogram, while boneless beef costs Rs 1,600 per kilogram. Mutton has reached Rs 2,600 per kg and chicken meat is being sold at Rs 600 per kg.
Meanwhile, a dozen cleaned goat feet cost Rs 2,600, while four cleaned beef feet sell for Rs 4,200. Butchers and poultry sellers have effectively set their own prices, and further increases are expected as Eid approaches. A similar trend is visible in the fruit market. Apples are sold at Rs 550 per kg, bananas at Rs 280 per dozen, guavas at Rs 250 per kg and kinnow at Rs 350 per dozen.
In the vegetable market, potatoes remain the only relatively affordable product, selling at Rs 120 per five kilograms, while prices of most other vegetables have increased during Ramazan.
Citizens urged authorities to take effective measures to curb the abnormal rise in food prices, so that people can complete the remaining 13 days of fasting without further financial hardship.
On the other hand, sellers of meat, poultry, fruits and vegetables say they are forced to sell their goods based on the rates at which they buy them, which adds transportation and operating costs as well as a reasonable profit margin.
They also warn that the sharp rise in oil prices from 17 Ramazan is likely to further intensify inflationary pressures in the market.
It is worth noting that the Punjab government introduced strict price control measures this year, but these measures have so far failed to curb the rising cost of essential commodities.
