SOUTH WAZIRISTAN: Prices of essential commodities, especially sugar and flour’s, have surged here, troubling people.

Residents told Dawn that apparently, negligence of the district administration and food authorities, coupled with the absence of an effective monitoring mechanism, had encouraged profiteering, making essentials unaffordable.

In Rustam Bazaar of Wana, sugar is sold for Rs195-Rs210 per kg, while the price is Rs9,300 per 50kg bag on the wholesale market.

Similarly, the rate of a 40kg flour bag has surged to Rs5,500, the steepest hike in recent months.

Residents demand crackdown on profiteering, smooth supply of essentials

Shopkeepers confirmed the rise of sugar and flour prices for several weeks and attributed it to supply restrictions by the Punjab government.

They said limited inflow of goods from Punjab had triggered shortages in Lower and Upper South Waziristan, and parts of North Waziristan district.

Several traders insisted that they were also victims of the price hike as suppliers were charging them inflated rates, forcing them to sell at higher prices.

“We are not profiteering; since we buy goods at higher rates, we have to sell them at higher rates,” a shopkeeper said.

Meanwhile, residents resented the failure of the administration and food control department to check profiteering and accused them of turning a blind eye to it.

They said that although official price lists were issued and displayed at shops, there was no enforcement mechanism to ensure compliance.

“Some profiteers are taking undue advantage of the situation and have set arbitrary prices without fear of any check,” a resident told Dawn.

He said the lack of oversight had made life increasingly difficult for ordinary people struggling to make ends meet.

A journalist told Dawn in Wana Bazaar that people couldn’t afford to buy sugar and flour at high prices due to high inflation and unemployment rates.

He urged the government to take immediate measures to bring prices under control.

Another resident said the price of flour increased almost every week while wages and daily earnings remained unchanged.

“Feeding our children has become an uphill task. If the government calls itself people-friendly, it must intervene to control prices and ensure an uninterrupted supply of food items,” he said.

Local social activists

voiced alarm over the unchecked inflation, describing it as a brewing economic crisis for vulnerable households.

They emphasised the need for an effective regulatory mechanism to check profiteering and artificial price hikes, warning that the situation could worsen if timely action is not taken.

They called on the district administration and the provincial food department to conduct regular inspections, monitor wholesale markets and punish hoarders involved in creating artificial shortages.

“Every passing day, the cost of basic food items is becoming unbearable for the poor,” an activist said.

Residents urged the chief secretary to take immediate notice of the unprecedented rise in sugar and flour prices in Lower and Upper South Waziristan, order a crackdown on hoarders and profiteers, and introduce subsidised markets or relief initiatives to ease the burden on struggling families.

They also called for smooth supply of essentials from Punjab and administrative oversight in local markets to prevent exploitation of consumers.

Published in Dawn, October 14th, 2025