Pakistanis face fresh price hikes as flour, chicken, meat and milk prices surge

Shopkeepers across Pakistan have reportedly increased the prices of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), flour, pulses, chicken, meat, and milk at their own discretion, adding to the burden on consumers.

LPG prices have surged to Rs600 per kilogram in several cities, including Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Peshawar, and Quetta. The price of a domestic LPG cylinder has reached Rs7,000.

In Lahore, the official LPG price is Rs280 per kilogram, while shopkeepers are reportedly charging as much as Rs550 per kilogram.

In Karachi, chicken prices have climbed to Rs750 per kilogram, while wheat flour in Karachi and Lahore has reached Rs190 per kilogram. In Quetta, a 20-kilogram bag of flour is being sold for Rs3,330.

The wheat crisis has worsened across Balochistan, with the price of a 50-kilogram bag of flour exceeding Rs8,000 in Khuzdar, Chagai, Washuk, Kech, and other districts.

Despite approval from the provincial cabinet, wheat procurement has yet to begin effectively. According to sources, the provincial government had planned to purchase 575,000 bags of wheat, but it has so far failed to procure even 100,000 bags.

Meanwhile, prices of vegetables, meat, and milk in Quetta have also increased by as much as 20 percent.