QURBANI BEYOND REACH: The rising tide of inflation has not spared even the religious tradition of Qurbani. There is no dearth of people who visited cattle markets only to discover that their savings were not enough to purchase a sacrificial animal. A small goat cost more than Rs50,000, while a medium-sized one was available for twice as much. The prices of premium animals were quite literally mind-blowing. Traders refused to show flexibility, justifying the prices by citing increasing expenses. As a result, many families were forced to completely forgo the ritual. There should have been some kind of government intervention in the cattle market.

Zainab Saleem
Hub

QUARTERLY TAX: The issue of quarterly advance income tax to be paid by non-salaried individual taxpayers having monthly income as low as Rs83,334 per month — or Rs1 million per year — urgently requires compassionate review by the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR). It should consider enhancing the advance income tax base from Rs1 million to Rs2.5 million. Besides, senior citizens, especially those aged at least 75 years and above, should be exempted from this quarterly hassle of undertaking frequent visits to their taxation lawyers for the purpose.

Nayyar Iqbal Khowaja
Karachi

INFLATIONARY TRENDS: In the face of increasing petroleum prices, the already deprived sections of society are facing even greater hardships. As fuel prices directly affect the cost of daily commodities, poor people are forced to choose between essential items due to their limited budgets because even basic necessities, such as milk and fruits, are becoming unaffordable. Current government policies are in no way supporting the public. They are instead burdening them with the introduction of new direct or indirect taxes on a regular basis. Urgent steps must be taken to control the worsen-ing situation before it gets too late because government policies have alienated the people rather than providing them relief.

Hannan Shah
Larkana

Published in Dawn, May 27th, 2026