Ramadan Inflation Spirals Out of Control in KP as Authorities Turn a Blind Eye

Despite issuing an official price list for essential commodities, the Peshawar administration and other district authorities have failed to enforce it. The list, meant to regulate market prices, is now nothing more than a decorative item on shop walls.

As Ramadan begins, inflation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has reached alarming levels, with food prices skyrocketing across multiple districts. However, district administrations remain indifferent, seemingly uninterested in the realities of the markets—or perhaps, as critics suggest, they are complicit with profiteers.

Despite issuing an official price list for essential commodities, the Peshawar administration and other district authorities have failed to enforce it. The list, meant to regulate market prices, is now nothing more than a decorative item on shop walls. Butchers, grocers, and retailers have taken pricing into their own hands, blatantly ignoring government-set rates.

Official Rates vs. Market Reality – A Stark Contrast

The discrepancy between government rates and actual market prices is staggering:

• Beef: Official price PKR 800/kg, but being sold for PKR 1,000/kg
• Mince (Qeema): Set at PKR 980/kg, but available for PKR 1,400/kg
• Mutton: Fixed at PKR 1,700/kg but being sold at PKR 2,200/kg
• Rice (Sella No.1 New): Official rate PKR 280/kg, but sold at PKR 320/kg
• Rice (Old Stock): Fixed at PKR 300/kg, sold at PKR 340/kg

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Even basic lentils are overpriced. Officially, Chana Dal No.1 should be PKR 300/kg and No.2 at PKR 280/kg, yet vendors deceive customers by selling No.2 at No.1 rates. Any attempt to challenge these illegal prices is met with verbal abuse or outright hostility from shopkeepers.

Dairy, Flour, and LPG Prices are Also Out of Control

The dairy sector is no different:

• Cow’s milk: Fixed at PKR 180/liter but sold at PKR 220/liter
• Buffalo milk: Official rate PKR 220/liter, market price PKR 240/liter
• Yogurt: Set at PKR 230/kg but available at PKR 260–280/kg

Similarly, flour, semolina, and LPG have all exceeded official prices:

• Flour & Semolina: Fixed at PKR 100/kg but sold at PKR 120/kg
• LPG Gas: Government rate PKR 270/kg, but market price PKR 320/kg or more

With such rampant profiteering, the biggest question remains: Where is the administration?

Fake Complaint Numbers & Photo-Op Raids

In Charsadda, officials proudly announced complaint numbers (0919220137 and 0919220021) to address price gouging. However, these numbers are either never answered or met with the classic bureaucratic response: "We are looking into it."

Instead of real enforcement, authorities conduct brief market raids, arrest a few butchers for show, snap some photo-op images, and file them in reports for the Chief Minister and Chief Secretary. Meanwhile, the wider market continues looting citizens unchecked.

Is There a Hidden Deal with Profiteers?

The administration’s inaction raises serious questions:

• Are district officials benefiting from the overpricing?
• Are they receiving free meat, vegetables, and other goods in exchange for silence?
• Has a "cut" been decided for each official, ensuring that price control remains a mere formality?

In Charsadda, butchers have even set up illegal slaughterhouses, selling meat at PKR 1,100/kg. The administration knows about it but refuses to take serious action.

If the Administration is Helpless, Where Should Citizens Go?

If district officials have surrendered to profiteers, who will protect the common people? The working class, daily wage earners, and fasting citizens are being crushed under inflation, but no one is held accountable.

This situation screams incompetence—or worse, corruption. The public deserves real action, not hollow claims. If the administration fails to take immediate steps, the growing frustration of citizens may soon boil over into protests.