ISLAMABAD: As the holy month of Ramazan draws closer, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Senator Sherry Rehman has sounded the alarm over surging food prices, warning that Pakistan’s deepening cost-of-living crisis is driving millions of families toward hunger and hardship.
Citing recent data from the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, Rehman said that food insecurity has climbed sharply across the country, increasing from 15.9 percent of households in 2018–19 to 24.4 percent in 2024–25. Urban food insecurity has more than doubled to 20.6 percent, while rural areas continue to face even higher levels at 26.7 percent, she said.
“This crisis is not abstract. It is unfolding in kitchens across Pakistan every single day. The massive economic toll of malnutrition is estimated to be annual losses of over Rs4.76 trillion due to reduced productivity and mounting healthcare costs. These are not just human tragedies. They are economic losses the country simply cannot afford,” said in a statement on Wednesday.
The PPP Senator said the country’s culture of charity traditionally intensifies during Ramazan, and the scale of economic distress now demands far stronger institutional action.
“Pakistan’s spirit of philanthropy is extraordinary, and people will undoubtedly step forward to help those who cannot put food on their tables,” she said. “But the state must also rise to the occasion, especially when rising prices are hitting low-income families the hardest.”
Rehman welcomed the government’s announcement of a Rs38 billion Ramazan relief package aimed at supporting more than 12 million low-income families through direct digital transfers, calling it a timely intervention to soften the blow of inflation. However, she cautioned that short-term relief would not be enough to address deeper structural issues.
“Relief packages help people survive, but they do not fix runaway prices,” she said.
She urged authorities to ensure official price lists reflect real market rates, enforce strict action against hoarding and profiteering, and improve oversight at subsidised ‘Sasta’ and ‘Bachat’ bazaars relied upon by the poor.
“If prices are not enforced and quality remains substandard, relief will only go so far,” Rehman warned.
Describing Ramazan as both a month of compassion and accountability, she stressed that protecting citizens from exploitation is a fundamental duty of the state.
“In a country where nearly one in four households struggles to secure food, fair pricing is not just economic policy,” she said. “It is a moral responsibility.”
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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