Agri Forum Pakistan (AFP) Chairman Ibrahim Mughal strongly criticised the performance of the Federal and Provincial Governments during their first 100 days and stressed the need for taking steps to immediately arrest the rising prices of food items and commodities.
While talking to media persons here on Saturday, Mughal alleged that flour became 25 percent dearer during the first 100 days of the government, rice 27 percent, potato 50 percent, onion 52 percent, tomatoes 100 percent, petrol 13 percent, lentils 20 percent and red chillies 30 percent.
AFP Chairman stated that poor and middle class had been grinded by the inflation; unemployment is on the rise and even medicine and food items have become so costly that people are finding it hard to make both ends meet. He went on to say that poor are forced to sell their body parts to buy food and medicines. He said both the Provincial and Federal Governments have to take steps for arresting the price spiral. However, he was of the view that situation could still be brought under control by taking immediate remedial measures.
He said that burden of debt on the country has also been increased as rise in dollar prices pushed it by Rs 400 billion more. He said there is no wisdom that the government should borrow from international financing agencies to payback Rs 800 billion’s loan by devaluing its own currency.
Mughal urged they should take steps to immediately reduce the prices of food and other essential items by 15 percent while make efforts to ensure production of 28 million tons of wheat during the coming season out of which Punjab has to contribute 22 million tons. He warned, otherwise inflation would further rise and country would be facing a famine like situation.
