Rising sugar prices have become a cause for concern across Pakistan, leaving consumers grappling with the economic impact. In Chaman, Balochistan, the cost of sugar has soared to an alarming Rs 230 per kg, while a 100 kg sack of flour sells for Rs 17,000. Gram and gram dal are priced at Rs 520 per kg and Rs 500 per kg, respectively.
The situation is not much better in Quetta, the capital of Balochistan, where sugar prices have surged by Rs 15, reaching a record Rs 220 per kg. In the outskirts of Quetta, sugar is even more expensive, selling at Rs 230 per kg. Over just four days, sugar prices in Quetta have surged by Rs 40.
In Lahore, Punjab’s capital, the open market reflects a price of Rs 175 per kg for sugar. Worryingly, there are reports of sugar shortages in small shops and markets throughout the city. The Punjab Food Department reveals that sugar mill owners have secured a restraining order, effectively preventing checks on prices and stocks.
Sargodha, another city in Punjab, has witnessed a rapid increase in sugar prices, with a jump of Rs 35 in just three days. Sugar now costs Rs 185 per kg, a significant rise from Rs 150 per kg.
Even Karachi, Pakistan’s largest city and the capital of Sindh province, has not been spared. The wholesale price of sugar per kg has risen by Rs 4, bringing it to Rs 175.
The surging sugar prices have left consumers struggling, and the situation poses challenges for the caretaker government as it grapples with the economic consequences and supply chain disruptions.
