Islamabad, October 30, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Residents of Faisalabad city in Pakistan’s Punjab province have expressed concern over the persistent rise in food prices and the district administration’s failure to enforce official rates, saying essential commodities are becoming increasingly unaffordable for low-income households, local media reported on Friday.
Residents said price-control magistrates and the Punjab Enforcement and Regulatory Authority (PERA) Force had failed to curb profiteering and alleged artificial price hikes, despite government claims that measures had been taken to provide relief to the public, Pakistan-based daily The Express Tribune reported.
Muhammad Ali, a resident, said rising prices of essential commodities had made it increasingly difficult for ordinary families to afford two meals a day. He said wheat was selling in the market at PKR 5,400 to PKR 5,600 per maund, against the official rate of PKR 3,800 per maund.
A 15-kilogram bag of fine flour was being sold for more than PKR 2,500, while flour from local mills was priced at PKR 165–170 per kilogram, adding to the financial burden on working-class households.
Another resident, Zakia Khanum, said persistent inflation and unemployment were worsening the difficulties faced by households. She said the administration and the PERA department in the Faisalabad division had failed to control prices effectively, The Express Tribune reported.
A third resident said the prices of vegetables, including tomatoes, onions and ginger, had risen sharply. Residents also said mutton, chicken, eggs, milk, fruits and vegetables were being sold at prices set by individual shopkeepers, despite the existence of an official price list.
Earlier this month, Pakistan was ranked the second-worst country in South Asia on the Global Hunger Index (GHI) 2026, scoring 25.5 and trailing only Afghanistan. The ranking highlighted the country’s worsening food insecurity and malnutrition challenges, local media reported.
The report published on the GHI website stated, “With a 2026 Global Hunger Index score of 25.5, Pakistan has a serious level of hunger,” Pakistan’s Geo News reported.
Pakistan ranked behind Afghanistan, which recorded a score of 28.6. Globally, Pakistan stood at 106th among 122 countries included in the index.
Pakistan’s GHI score declined from 36.2 in 2002 to 25.5 in 2026, indicating some improvement, according to the report. The country’s score is based on four indicators: child stunting, undernourishment, child wasting and child mortality.
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