September 27, 2007	Thursday	Ramazan 14, 1428

KARAK, Sept 26: Prices of daily use items soared sky high here in the wake of a spike in wheat and wheat flour prices, forcing poor people to go hungry in addition to fasting in the month of Ramazan.

Prices of kitchen items like tomato and potato and other vegetable and fruit are so high that they are effectively out of the common man’s reach. A sharp imbalance in wage earners’ income and inflationary pressures is creating a sense of deprivation and frustration among the masses.

A labourer Mohammad Farooq told this correspondent that he was the only earning hand for an 11-member family and his daily average income did not amount more than Rs150.

He said that he could not afford much for his family in the meagre resources he was able to earn after a hard day’s work, adding that most essential commodities were totally out of his reach.

Blaming shopkeepers for the price hike, he said they were looting poor people with impunity and the government did nothing but play the role of a silent spectator.

One Jawad Mir said that the salaried class was also hit hard by the price hike, adding that all month long they had to juggle with their limited income to keep up with the rising expenditure.

Criticising the government, he said it had created an artificial price hike otherwise it would have done something to control the soaring prices.

He said that no action was being taken against shopkeepers for ignoring the official price list or hoarders who sold or withheld commodities on their whims.

A shopkeeper Rab Nawaz defended the retail market outlets and said that they were helpless because they purchased daily use items at a very high price and were, therefore, unable to sell it at official rates.