AS was the case in the past, the government is continuing to make promises while increasing the cost of living rather drastically. Everything will be fine soon, we are told, but nothing is going to be fine anytime soon, we realise. The recent spike in petroleum prices has triggered a new wave of price increase across the spectrum of commodities and services.

Admitted that the world food prices have touched a 10-year peak, and it is also a fact that oil and gas prices are high in the international market. The government finds its hands tied and one can understand that. What one fails to understand is the propensity of cabinet ministers to come up with lame and baseless reasons and justifications for the price hike. Some of them have even found the fault with the common man. This really is the height of insensitivity, and is akin to rubbing salt into people’s wounds.

Hussain Siddiqui
Islamabad

Published in Dawn, October 28th, 2021