The twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad are struggling with a major food crisis caused by road closures linked to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) march on the capital. The roadblocks have disrupted the supply of essential food items like fruits, vegetables, and other staples, leaving markets and shops with little to offer.
For the third consecutive day, wholesale fruit and vegetable markets remained shut, worsening the shortages. Supplies to Rawalpindi’s urban and rural areas, including seven tehsils and Murree, have been completely halted.
Authorities have warned that if the supply chain isn’t restored within 24 hours, the situation could worsen dramatically. While flour mills report having enough stock, distribution has come to a halt. The lack of fresh produce has paralyzed fruit and vegetable markets, leaving local stores and bazaars without goods.
Traders with limited stock have raised prices, with vegetables and fruits seeing price hikes of up to Rs100. Even items like coriander, usually sold cheaply, are now priced at Rs100 per bundle, while tomatoes have surged to Rs300 per kilogram.
The milk supply has also been hit, with districts like Sargodha and Bhakkar halting deliveries. Non-packaged milk is now selling for Rs260 per litre, and packaged milk prices have also risen.
Wholesale markets are nearly empty, and shopkeepers with remaining stock are taking advantage of the crisis by charging inflated prices. Price control authorities have stopped enforcing regulations against profiteering, leaving residents scrambling for essentials with no immediate solution in sight.
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