KOHLU: A severe flour crisis has gripped the Kohlu district of Balochistan, where the price of a 20-kilogram bag has surged from Rs. 2,100 to Rs. 2,400.
According to local reports, shopkeepers and traders stated that they purchase a 20-kg flour bag for Rs. 2,000 from Dera Ghazi Khan, but due to high transportation costs and multiple check posts along the route, an additional Rs. 350 per bag is spent on transit expenses, forcing them to sell it at Rs. 2,400.
Local residents have appealed to the Deputy Commissioner and Assistant Commissioner of Kohlu to take urgent action, urging authorities to control the situation and rein in officials at the check posts who are allegedly contributing to the price hike.
Citizens warned that if the crisis continues, the poor will be left starving.
It is worth noting that the flour shortage across Balochistan has worsened in recent weeks. Prices that started at Rs. 1,600 per bag have seen a steady rise, with flour now being sold at arbitrary rates in various districts.
In response to the ongoing shortage, the Balochistan Food Department has announced plans to purchase 300,000 bags of wheat from PASCO.
Meanwhile, citizens have expressed frustration over the repeated crises and artificial inflation of essential commodities, saying that household consumers are already under immense financial pressure.
The rising cost of living has made it increasingly difficult for middle-income and low-income families to manage daily expenses.
People lamented that the government continues to rely on hollow promises and temporary fixes while the public is being pushed into poverty and despair, warning that growing desperation could soon lead to public unrest.
It is worth mentioning that Balochistan is already hit with the crisis like power outage, the load shedding of gas and the law-and order situation.
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The wave of inflation will add to the troubles and the miseries of the people of Balochistan.
