On the one hand the ratio of inflation continues to rise but on the other hand the rulers are hoping to run the system of the country by increasing the aid received from the debtors and increasing the electricity or other utility bills, which has made it difficult for the common citizens to live.
According to the official data the increase in inflation has been seen for the fourth consecutive week of the new financial year due to which the citizens are more disappointed. In this regard the bureau of Statistics has released a weekly report on inflation which states that the inflation rate increased by 0.17 percent on a weekly basis and the overall annual rate of weekly inflation in the country was 20.09 percent.
According to the bureau of Statistics a in the week, the prices of 19 essential items have increased, in recent weeks, 8 items have become cheaper and prices of 24 items have remained stable.
According to the report in a week, chicken 4.80%, garlic 2.01%, lentils 1.87%, eggs 1.71%, beef 0.93%, jaggery. 0.89 percent, dal mong 0.84 percent, fresh milk 0.45 percent, firewood 0.23 and cigarettes 0.12 percent more expensive. In addition, the price of tomato decreased by 9.19 percent, onion by 2.14 percent, banana by 0.53 percent and flour by 0.35 percent in a week. That 0.17% decrease in the price of potato was recorded. The price of LPG has also decreased by 1.04% in the recent week, however, the data shows that the prices of the commodities that have decreased in the current unemployment situation have not benefited the common people very much because the daily wage earners are unable to even buy a KG of flour.
The irony is that now the series of starvation have started in the well-to-do and middle-class families. The families who were earning well till now they have now come to the streets and the current expensive electricity, gas and other commodities have become out of their reach, for which they have been forced to protest but for this reason no subsidy from the government.
This has increased the worse condition of an ordinary citizen which needs to be thought about by the federal and provincial governments who are currently engaged in point scoring against each other. The rulers should not know that now the patience of the people has been exhausted. Therefore, giving them hopes in press conferences will not work. Now these active forces will have to take practical steps to improve the quality of life of the citizens.
At this critical juncture when 80% of the country’s population, including 65% of them are youth that suffering from unemployment, any harsh action against them will not helpful for the government. It should be remembered that this is a sign of the country’s economic crisis that any second member of every family is eager to leave the country, legally or illegally while the news of illegal immigrants is becoming an adornment of the international media every day.
The irony is that despite these adverse conditions, steps are not being taken by the higher officials to control inflation and unemployment, which raises many questions about their competence. If these conditions are not considered seriously the protests started by the people will increase in intensity in the coming weeks because now the common citizens do not have the resources even to eat two meals a day.
If the elite class continues to ignore the middle class in this way, it will have very bad effects on the society and the economy of the country. It is hoped that Prime Minister Mian Shahbaz Sharif and his Finance Minister will speed up the economic reforms in the country by analyzing the bad situation. so that they can implement the promises they made to the people in the general elections.