Inflation distresses citizens

The painful inflation hits people seriously. The economic turmoil has left nearly two million people unemployed. It is not difficult to imagine the dire consequences of such skyrocketing inflation on the livelihood of those who are unemployed and those whose income has taken a nosedive during this economic meltdown. It is not easy to sleep on an empty stomach or when your ears are ringing with the hunger-induced screams of your child or when you are worried sick about where you would find the money to pay the utility bills or for your child’s school fees or even a meal the next day. Millions of Pakistanis have seen their purchasing power further eroded, with many struggling to cover even the most necessities. According to economists, one of the major reasons for the current inflationary trend is the 2022 floods that inundated almost a third of the country, destroying thousands of acres of agricultural land and creating a shortage of food produce. Fuel prices; meanwhile have a direct impact on every sector of the economy, as is evident in the sharp spike in the prices of consumer goods. Even as income levels largely remain stagnant, the prices of essentials such as wheat flour, basmati rice, chicken, eggs, onions, and cooking oil have witnessed a phenomenal jump, many of them doubling over the last four years. The life of every Pakistani paints a picture of constant struggles and compromises. Earlier, they would come to their place of work for a lesser amount but now they have to spend more. Many lie awake at night, worried about the most necessities. The worst part of the story is that there seems to be no light at the end of this tunnel. Those in power keep repeating the same mistakes and the poor end up paying the price. Life for the overwhelming majority of Pakistan has become next to impossible. They say there were times until a few years ago when maneuvering expenses could help people survive. Not anymore. Now, expenditures like health, clothing, social travel, and other expenses have increased. Squeezed buying power with unprecedented inflation, they believe that their life is reduced to basic meals and all other expenses so far considered normal, have now fallen into the category of luxury. If food expenses eat up 50pc of one’s income, one can imagine what kind of cost-cutting is required to survive. With a family of six, people need at least 20 breads twice a day, which costs a staggering Rs600 at a rate of Rs20 each for this basic food item. All the prices of pulses per kg have gone up and other essentials like ghee, salt, chilies, coriander, etc. and basic family meals cost much more and laborers cannot make extra money every day given their age and health. Workers are in perennial debt to meet two meals a day requirement; all the rest is now a luxury for them. The price of wheat flour in Pakistan has been hovering at distressing high levels for several weeks now. Roti and naan, essential staples of the country, are more expensive due to this steep hike in the flour price. No wonder people are losing their lives in stampedes occurring at the distribution of free wheat flour, and some are committing suicide. The sight of women and the elderly standing in long queues for hours to secure a sack or two of flour, and being jostled and manhandled in the process, is a sad one. Nonetheless, most of the financially constrained people are managing to scrape on a meager income by working in the shadow economy, coupled with reliance on debts, charity, and the government’s cash handouts and subsidies.