This is the month of blessings, and Muslims all over the world understand this and create ease for each other, but no one in Pakistan understands this. Before Ramadan begins, everything becomes so expensive that it becomes out of reach for people. The resident of Lahore, Asma, says, "This is the first Ramadan that we have not been able to buy fruit even once. The children said that they wanted to eat fruit, but then their father said that if we buy fruit, then we won't be able to afford two meals a day." Therefore, now even the children are quiet, because if they can't go in one direction, why look in that direction? We are white-collar people. I have three young daughters who study. I used to make jewelry for women at home, but now that work has also stopped. The person from whom I used to get work says that he has stopped working due to inflation. Now, only my husband earns. 24,000 rupees come to our house every month, out of which we pay 13,000 for rent and the remaining four to five thousand is for electricity bills. We spend the rest, which is five to six thousand, on food, drink, sickness, children's fees, and other expenses." Talking about the month of Ramadan, they say that everything has become so expensive that if we missed a few days last year, we can't afford to miss even a few days this year.
Due to Pakistan's economic situation and increasing inflation day by day, people of all classes were affected, but the new wave of inflation caused by the beginning of Ramadan and its aftermath has added to the complaints of ordinary Pakistanis.
One complaint that is being heard from all sides is that this year's iftar table has changed especially for the average and poor classes compared to the past.
Where previously the average class would have three to four items on the iftar table, now they can only manage to have two, while there are families for whom even having two meals a day has become difficult.
The situation for Muhammad Abbas and his family is no different.
They work at a flour mill and after working eight to nine hours a day, they only earn 800 rupees a day, which amounts to 24,000 rupees per month, and these wages are insufficient for their family in the current situation.
Muhammad Abbas's wife, Asma, says that they cannot afford to buy basic food items in sufficient quantities."Due to Asma and her family's low income, they face more difficulties, but Hamza, who belongs to the middle class, also identified with Asma's problems during his conversation with BBC.Hamza, Hijab's husband, works as a sales and marketing manager in a private company, but even for them, it is difficult to meet expenses in this inflation.
"My husband earns well, but still if I compare this year's iftar table to last year's Ramadan, everything has changed. Everything has become three times more expensive.
What is causing rising inflation? While discussing rising inflation and the country's economic conditions, Dr. Qais Aslam, an economist, says that the biggest reason for the high prices of food and drink items during Ramadan is people hoarding things. He also mentioned that the government's incompetence is also included in this. "First of all, everyone knew before the month of Ramadan that Pakistan had gone through a devastating flood, due to which crops, seasons, and orchards were destroyed. Not only this, but people's live stock also flowed away in water."
"The government knew that the issue of demand and supply would arise in the coming days. Now take the example of bananas. Most of the bananas used to come from Sindh, but after the flood, it was lost. That is why bananas are being sold at four to five hundred rupees per dozen. Then, the leftover grain we had, we exported it to other countries."
Dr. Qais Aslam explained that "in addition to this, small-scale businessmen have taken all their money out of the market and sent it to other countries because the dollar rate is increasing. With the increase in the dollar rate and the prices of petroleum products, the burden on farmers has also increased."
"Then the role of the middleman is important, who stores things and charges more for bringing them to the market. These are all the elements that are causing inflation at the moment, but the result of all this is that the poor are suffering the most.
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