GILGIT, Aug 25 With the onset of Ramazan, prices of essential commodities have shot up and consumers are facing problems in the region.

“It is astonishing that the prices of daily use items rose so high overnight and there is no check on prices by the concerned quarters,” a senior citizen Imdad Hussain told Dawn.

Residents in Gilgit complained that the Utility Store outlets in the region were empty and people could not find the items they require. In the local markets, prices of vegetables have gone beyond the purchasing capacity of common people.

“I bought potato at Rs50 per/kg which was available at Rs20 before Ramazan,” a local said, adding that the district administration had turned a blind eye to the pathetic issue.

A spokesman for the Northern Areas administration told this correspondent that the home secretary had held a meeting with district magistrates to control prices during Ramazan.