ISLAMABAD: While the residents of the federal capital enjoy greener environment, better road network and other facilities than many other parts of the country but they also pay around 30 to 40 percent more for food items than those living elsewhere.

Over the last decade, the capital has become Pakistan’s most expensive city, forcing a number of people out of the capital into the rural areas and Rawalpindi.

Shahid Nazir, who is a native of Faisalabad and works as a trader in the capital told Dawn that once he believed that only property is expensive here but now realises that everything else is expensive too.

“In Punjab, the government led by Shahbaz Sharif keeps a check on the prices but here in the federal capital, shopkeepers charge according to will,” he said.

Mr Nazir said that Sasta Bazaars (affordable markets) used to be set up in the capital during the month of Ramazan but this year such bazaars have only been established in the rural areas of the capital.

“In Faisalabad mutton is available for Rs 475 per kg which is further reduced by Rs 100 per kg in Sasta Bazaars but in Islamabad, mutton is sold at Rs 680 to Rs 700 per kg,” he said.

He lamented that in central Punjab, beef was sold at Rs 250 per kg but in the federal capital beef was sold for Rs 400 per kg while in some places it was even sold at Rs 450 per kg.

“In Islamabad live chicken is sold for Rs 170 to Rs 185 per kg but in central areas of Punjab it costs Rs 170 per kg. Even in Sasta Bazaar of Rawalpindi, chicken is being sold for Rs 165,” he said.

Another resident of the city, Maqbool Ahmed, who is a businessman agreed with Mr Shahid. “There is a lot of difference in prices of fruits, vegetables and other edible items as compared to other cities. The government should establish Sasta Bazaars in urban areas and ensure reasonable prices,” he said.

The weekly bazaars of Islamabad are also more expensive than those of other cities, he said.

Deputy Commissioner Islamabad Retired Captain Mushtaq told Dawn that three Sasta Bazaars have been established in the rural areas of the federal capital.

“In urban areas the CDA has already established weekly bazaars. We have been making raids at shops and trying our best to control prices,” he said.

“On Saturday 393 shops were checked, cases were registered against 182 people and 117 individuals were fined. As many as 119 persons were arrested and sent to judicial lockup and a total of Rs 3,61,500 were collected from traders as fine,” he said.

The commissioner claimed that the administration is changing its strategy and checking rates of fruits and vegetables to ensure that prices are not too high. “However, we cannot decrease the wholesale price in the fruit and vegetable market because such goods are sold through open bidding,” he said.

CDA Spokesperson Ramzan Sajid said that the chairman CDA has instructed officials to ensure the availability of all kind of edible items in the weekly markets at reasonable rates.

“Moreover our food inspectors visit the fruit and vegetable markets every day to ensure that there is not a lot of difference between the whole sale price and the price at the weekly bazaars. The prices at these bazaars are better than other markets,” he said.

Published in Dawn, June 22nd, 2015

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