PRICES have wings. Or so it seems. The recent Sensitive Price Index (SPI) readings confirm that the prices are soaring across the board, breaking all previous records. As per the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), inflation levels in the country increased to 13.8 per cent in May from 13.4pc in April, reaching the highest levels since January 2020.

The common people, however, do not need these figures to understand the painful impact of the unaffordable cost of living. Numbers cannot capture or reflect the helplessness felt by people from low- and lower-middle-income households when they purchase groceries, buy fuel, and pay their electricity, health and education bills.

Those in power, however, appear utterly ignorant of the effect that their policies is having on the common man, while they continue to enjoy all the perks and privileges that their offices bestow on them.

While taking the easy route of blaming their predecessors for the economic mess, the government forgets that it too was in power not too long ago. The least the government officials can do now is to own up to their decisions and show some empatht towards the plight of the people.

Saif Ur Rehman
Lahore

Published in Dawn, June 8th, 2022