ISLAMABAD: Short-term inflation, measured by the Sensitive Price Index (SPI), increased 4.26 per cent year-on-year in the week ending Feb 12, owing to rising prices of pulses and meat in the domestic market.

The SPI-based inflation has been on an upward trend for the past 28 consecutive weeks. The increase is mainly driven by a surge in prices of perishable products, as well as pulses and meat.

It, however, decreased by 0.59pc from the previous week due to a decline in prices of tomatoes, potatoes and onions, official data showed on Friday.

In March, the decline in SPI came after a consistent 11-week period of inflation above 40pc, surging from 29pc recorded on Nov 8, 2023. The weekly inflation hit a record 48.35pc year-on-year in early May v2023, but then decelerated to 24.4pc in late August 2023 before surging past 40pc during the week ending Nov 16, 2023.

The items whose prices increased the most over the previous week included bananas (7.62pc), garlic (4.35pc), pulse mash (2.69pc), chillies powder (1.68pc), mutton (0.80pc), beef (0.37pc), mustard oil (0.34pc), shirting (0.31pc), cigarettes (0.24pc), vegetable ghee 1 kg (0.08pc), georgette (0.02pc) and lawn printed (0.01pc).

The items whose prices declined week-on-week included eggs (17.61pc), tomatoes (12.02pc), chicken (6.34pc), onions (2.73pc), potatoes (2.49pc), salt powder (1.69pc), LPG (1.57pc), wheat flour (1.31pc) and sugar (1.12pc).

However, on an annual basis, the items whose prices increased the most included tomatoes (73.36pc), wheat flour (33.82pc), gas charges for Q1 (29.85pc), chilies powder (15.20pc), beef (12.70pc), eggs (11.76pc), bananas (11.67pc), firewood (11.40pc), LPG (10.73pc), powdered milk (9.89pc), shirting (8.82pc) and gur (8.81pc).

In contrast, the prices of potatoes dropped 44.68pc, followed by garlic (30.78pc), pulse gram (23.81pc), onions (22.04pc), chicken (20.13pc), Lipton tea (13.95pc), salt powder (12.52pc), pulse masoor (10.88pc) and petrol (1.33pc).

Published in Dawn, February 14th, 2026