Pakistani kitchen is based on flour. It is relied upon by every household. There is no match for its role in bread to parathas. In this case however, flour is a luxury. Prices are flying high. Families are experiencing squeeze. The simplest food product slides beyond reach.
The present inflation in the prices of flour is indicative of the overall inflation crisis. The country has experienced a case of inflation. Prices of simple goods are increasing daily. Wages are not keeping pace. This disparity is incriminating against the common folks. The middle income is declining rapidly. The poor are just trampled under their feet.
Global and Local Pressures
Government attributes it to the world. Examples are increasing fuel prices and imported wheat shortages. Local mismanagement cannot, however, go unnoticed. Smuggling and hoarding have their role to play. Weak governance contributes towards the fire. The outcome is markets anarchy. The consumer is powerless in the storm.
Families Under Stress
To a lot of families, flour is not merely food. It is survival. Eats are based on cheap flour. When the price is soaring, it is difficult to survive. Mothers are concerned with feeding children. Fathers have a hard time stretching meager incomes. Families must do away with meals. The door is knocking at hunger.
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Bread Turns into Burden
Roti the most widely consumed meal in Pakistan is getting expensive. The price of each roti is increasing by the week. To the working population this is catastrophic. Simple bread and tea seem to weigh on the purse. The country cannot risk considering bread a liability.
Political Blame Game
Politics occupies the center stage instead of solutions. Leaders accuse one another. Dissent lays the blame on the government. The state transfers responsibility to the global trends. In the meantime, the citizens are silently victimized. Empty promises do not put food into the empty stomachs. No longer is it necessary that political drama be subdued to the reality of action.
The case requires urgent actions. Hoarding should be dealt with strictly. They should have transparency in wheat distributions. Temporary relief can be provided by subsidies among the poor. Policies in the long term should be geared towards self-sufficiency. Food security is not a follow up. It must be on the national agenda.
A Nation in Crisis
When the price of flour reaches a record high it is not only numbers that matter. It concerns hunger, dignity and survival. A starving nation is unable to develop. The simple fact that we have economic stability begins in the kitchen. In case one cannot afford bread then none of the other things count. Pakistan should work before the crisis escalates even more. Flour shall be back to all the tables.
