Flour price have risen sharply in Jacobabad following an increase in petroleum product prices in Pakistan.
The price of flour has increased from Rs130 to Rs150 per kilogram, while the price of a 40kg bag has jumped from Rs4,000 to Rs5,500.
Residents say the increase is making it increasingly difficult to manage household expenses as the prices of essential commodities continue to rise without a corresponding increase in incomes.
Many consumers have called on the local administration to take immediate action to control flour prices and ensure that official rates are enforced.
They have also urged authorities to take effective measures against artificial price increases and profiteering, saying flour is a basic necessity and its rising cost disproportionately affects low- and middle-income families.
The latest increase has renewed concerns about rising inflation and the effectiveness of measures to control the prices of essential commodities across the country.
Prime Minister (PM), Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has launched a special relief package after taking immediate notice of the additional financial burden on the public caused by rising global oil prices amid recent tensions in the Middle East. Under the scheme, the government will provide a subsidy of Rs100 per litre on petrol to owners of motorcycles, rickshaws, Qingqi rickshaws and small vehicles with engine capacities of up to 800cc.
In a message on X, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the government was fully aware of the difficulties the public faced due to rising fuel prices.
He assured citizens they would not be left alone during this difficult period and said the special initiative aimed to reduce the impact of higher fuel costs on low-income and small-vehicle users.
Under the relief scheme, owners of motorcycles and three-wheelers, including rickshaws and Qingqi rickshaws, will receive a Rs100-per-litre subsidy on a monthly quota of 20 litres of petrol. Owners of small cars with engine capacities of up to 800cc will receive the same Rs100-per-litre relief on a monthly quota of 30 litres.
The scheme will come into effect in the Islamabad Capital Territory on the night between Monday and Tuesday. Its implementation across the rest of the country, including Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, will begin on the night between Wednesday and Thursday.
