Islamabad, April 9 – The prices of roti and chapati have increased in Karachi, Pakistan, as the country continues to experience a severe shortage of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), further increasing the financial burden on people who are already struggling with inflation, local media reported on Thursday.
Owners of tandoors have increased prices by five Pakistani Rupees (PKR), citing higher production costs due to the rise in LPG prices, which is widely used in the absence of natural gas, according to The Express Tribune, Pakistan's leading daily.
Sajid Khan, General Secretary of the LPG Association and owner of Karachi Gas, said that 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 profit through black marketing, despite local accounts.
Khan warned that the artificial shortage could further increase prices and criticized the government for being unable to control the situation. He stated that the demand for LPG has increased due to the ongoing shortage of natural gas. He urged the government to take action against those involved in manipulating LPG prices.
Meanwhile, tandoor owner Manzoor Hussain said that most tandoor owners in Karachi have started using LPG, which has increased operational costs. "Due to the rise in LPG prices, we have no choice but to increase the prices of roti and chapati," he said.
After the increase, low-weight roti is being sold for PKR 25, heavier roti for PKR 30, and chapati for PKR 20 in various parts of Karachi. People of Karachi have expressed 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 Sindh province in Pakistan 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 went on a hunger strike, according to Dawn, another leading daily in Pakistan. Addressing the protesters, SUP leader Eidan Jagirani criticized the government's recent hike in petrol price and emphasized that "the genie of inflation" had been unleashed, making essential food items unaffordable for the working class.
Simultaneously, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf 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 a joint demonstration in Karachi, which witnessed the participation of workers and representatives from various political and human rights organizations. Participants carried placards demanding the abolition of the petroleum levy and a price increase in line with the current cost of living.