Prices of roti and chapati have increased in Pakistan's Karachi as the country continues to experience a severe Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG) crisis
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ISLAMABAD — Prices of roti and chapati have increased in Pakistan's Karachi as the country continues to experience a severe Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG) crisis, further increasing financial burden on people who are already facing difficulty with inflation, local media reported on Thursday.
Tandoor owners have hiked prices by Pakistani Rupees (PKR) five, citing higher production costs due to the rise in LPG price, which is widely used in the absence of natural gas, Pakistan's leading daily, The Express Tribune, reported.
LPG Association General Secretary and Karachi Gas owner Sajid Khan said there is no actual shortage of LPG in Pakistan and accused importers and certain market players of creating an artificial crisis to increase prices and earn profit through black marketing, even though locals narrate a different story.
Khan warned that the artificial shortage could further increase prices and slammed the government for being unable to control the situation. He mentioned that the demand for LPG has increased due to the ongoing shortage of natural gas. He urged the government to act against those involved in manipulating the prices of LPG.
Meanwhile, tandoor owner Manzoor Hussain said the majority of tandoor owners in Karachi have started using LPG, causing an increase in operational costs. "Due to the rise in LPG prices, we have no choice but to increase the rates of roti and chapati," The Express Tribune quoted him as saying.
After the hike, low-weight roti is being sold at PKR 25, heavier roti at PKR 30, and chapati is sold at PKR 20 in various parts of Karachi. People of Karachi have voiced concern over the continuous increase in prices of essential items and urged the government to take immediate steps to control prices and provide relief to the people.
On April 5, protests and rallies were held in Karachi, Jacobabad, Hyderabad, Sukkur and several other parts of Pakistan's Sindh province against the recent increase in petroleum prices and rising inflation.
The Sindh United Party (SUP) in Sukkur held a protest outside the local press club on April 5. A large number of party workers participated in the protests wearing shrouds (kafans) and observed a hunger strike, Pakistan's another leading daily, Dawn, reported. While addressing the protesters, SUP leader Eidan Jagirani slammed the government's recent hike in petrol price and stressed that the “genie of inflation” had been unleashed, making essential food items unaffordable for the working class.
Simultaneously, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers held a protest at the same venue, where the party's senior leader Gohar Khan Khoso said that the price of petrol has been increased to PKR 378 per litre and warned that the protests would be intensified if the government did not provide immediate relief and end unnecessary taxes.
The Awami Tehreek carried out a rally from Teer Chowk to Ghanta Ghar in Sukkur, followed by a sit-in. Awami Tehreek leaders Ahmed Katiar and advocate Sarwan Jatoi accused the government of using the West Asia conflict as a pretext to raise petrol price to PKR 378 and diesel to PKR 520 per litre.
Similarly, the National Trade Union Federation Pakistan (NTUF) and the Home-Based Women Workers Federation (HBWWF) organised the joint demonstration in Karachi, which witnessed the participation of workers and representatives from various political and human rights organisations. Participants carried placards demanding the abolition of the petroleum levy and a rise in line with the current cost of living.