Karachi Residents Struggle with Rising Prices Amid Economic Crisis
Karachi, Pakistan – July 22: People in Pakistan are facing a tough time due to a severe economic crisis. Prices of essential items like cooking oil, pulses, flour, sugar, milk, and chicken have gone up a lot. According to a report, the prices of 25 important items have increased, with inflation rates going over 23 percent.
Despite the government’s promises to help, the cost of daily necessities keeps rising. Electricity, vanaspati ghee, cooking oil, pulses, flour, sugar, milk, and chicken meat are among the most affected items. For example, the cost of pulses has increased by up to PKR 65 per kilogram, cooking oil by PKR 30-40 per litre, sugar by PKR 25-30 per kilogram, and chicken meat by PKR 80-100 per kilogram, now costing PKR 600-650 per kilogram.
Ashraf, a resident of Karachi, criticized the government’s response, saying, “Rising prices are controlled by the government, which should support the poor. People are working hard on the roads, yet no one in authority seems to care. Only Allah provides for us, not the government. Their attitude is essentially, ‘If the poor die, let them die.'”
Sikandar, another resident, said, “Inflation affects everyone from top to bottom. What used to cost 20-25 thousand now costs 30-40 thousand. As a rickshaw driver, I used to charge 150 rupees per ride, but now it’s 300 due to the surge in gas prices.”
Rehan, another resident, added, “The government promised relief on electricity bills, but now bills are between 3000-4000 rupees. They only inquire about our conditions before elections, and afterwards, no one pays attention. Prices keep climbing–petrol prices fluctuate, and essentials like lentils, rice, flour, sugar, and even water are all expensive. The rulers enjoy their air-conditioned comfort while we toil on the streets with no support.”
The working class, bearing the brunt of the hot summer while earning a living, have voiced their grievances to the government. They recall pre-election promises of relief that have yet to materialize; instead, inflation continues to worsen.
Doubts Revealed
Karachi -: Karachi is a large city in Pakistan, which is a country next to India.
Economic Crisis -: An economic crisis is when a country has big financial problems, like not having enough money, which makes things more expensive.
Inflation -: Inflation means that the prices of things go up, so you need more money to buy the same things.
23 percent -: This means that prices have gone up by 23 out of every 100 units of money, making things much more expensive.
Ashraf, Sikandar, and Rehan -: These are names of people living in Karachi who are unhappy with how the government is handling the situation.
Pre-election promises -: These are promises made by politicians before elections to get people to vote for them, but sometimes they don’t keep these promises after winning.
Working class -: The working class includes people who have jobs that usually pay less money and involve more physical work, like factory workers or shop assistants.
