CHARSADDA: Prices of kitchen items have recorded a huge increase in the markets and bazaars here.

A 20 kilogram flour bag has recorded an increase of Rs40 taking its price from Rs760 to Rs800. Rate of one kilogram pack of black tea has jumped from Rs550 to Rs720; that of 50 kilogram bag of gram from Rs5,600 to Rs6,400, pulse (mash) from Rs8,200 per 50 kilogram to Rs10,400 and white gram per 50kg from Rs4,400 to Rs5,600.

Retailers told Dawn the upward trend in prices was causing problems for them and badly hurting their businesses.

They said there was no mechanism to control prices at the wholesale level as they were pushing prices up on their own.

Retailer Association Charsadda president Haji Israruddin told Dawn the prices were increased at the wholesale level.

He said retailers were always forced to follow the government pricelists.

He said the government should keep check on the artificial price hike in the wholesale market to keep tabs on the inflation.

He said price fluctuations were badly hitting the retail market.

ACTION AGAINST DOCTORS SOUGHT: Nauman Ijaz, a resident of Shabqadar tehsil, told a press conference that his nephew died due to absence of doctors at the tehsil headquarters hospital.

He said he took his sister-in-law to the THQ Shabqadar for delivery at around 6am on Sunday.

However, the operation theatre and gynae ward were closed and the medics were sleeping.

He said later he took the patient to a private maternity home, where

the child was born in a critical condition and they were referred to the THQ so the child could be put on oxygen.

He said when they brought the infant to THQ, the hospital was closed and the head nurse refused to put the child on oxygen saying why they took the patient to private clinic in the first place.

Ijaz said the child died due to the nurse’s refusal to put him on oxygen.

He demanded of the authorities concerned to take action against those responsible for death of this nephew.

He said he would also approach court against the hospital officials.

CHANGES TO CORRIDOR ROUTE OPPOSED: Jamaat Islami KP chief Professor Mohammad Ibrahim Khan has said his party would not allow any change in the original plan of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

Addressing a public meeting at Markaz-i-Islami here, he said they would not allow the federal government to change the project route.

He said the corridor would lead to a new era of prosperity in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

He said the project was of vital importance for peace and prosperity of the country and that the federal government should insure that this project was corruption free.

Published in Dawn, October 12th , 2015

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