As the sacred month of Ramazan unfolds, the streets and bazaars of Pakistan should be brimming with the spirit of generosity, brotherhood, and self-restraint.

Instead, they stand as grim reminders of an exploitative market system where inflation spirals unchecked, and profiteers prey upon the desperation of the common man.

What was meant to be a month of solace for the poor has been transformed into a season of financial burden and oppression. Essential commodities—flour, grams, sugar, fruits, dates, pulses, and even the simplest items for Iftar and Sehri—are priced beyond the reach of millions.

Despite the government’s recent reduction in petroleum prices by Rs 5.3 per liter and LPG by Rs 6.15 per kg, transportation costs remain stubbornly high. Market mafias, operating with impunity, continue to dictate their own rules, defying regulatory price lists. This troubling trend is visible across all major cities and small towns, where district administrations stand as helpless spectators—either complicit or indifferent to the plight of the poor.

Walking through the historic bazaars of Shikarpur — once vibrant centers of commerce and economic activity — one is confronted with a painful reality. The narrow, dusty lanes, strewn with litter, reflect the deeper malaise afflicting the city’s soul. The floodgates of blessings associated with Ramazan have been met with an unjustified and relentless spike in prices. Every visit to the marketplace reveals yet another staggering increase in costs — children’s apparel, footwear, kitchen essentials, vegetables, and Iftar staples like fruits, dates, syrups, and gram powder.

Even basics such as eggs, sugar, and poultry are being relentlessly jacked up by market manipulators, pushing the common man further into misery.

Retailers and vendors, exploiting the occasion, continue to sell these necessities at exorbitant rates, leaving cash-strapped consumers desperately haggling over inflated prices.

The most heart-wrenching sight is that of poor, simple villagers visiting city bazaars in the hope of affording basic necessities. Ill-clothed women carrying their emaciated children, with barefooted toddlers trailing behind, innocently inquire about prices—only to return to their........

© Business Recorder