KARACHI: The President of the Pakistan Businessmen and Intellectuals Forum (PBIF), Mian Zahid Hussain, has proposed creation of a digital dashboard to support informed decisions and timely action against artificial shortages, hoarding and undue profiteering.
Better commodity storage, cold storage for perishable goods, efficient transportation and improved market systems could reduce food wastage.
Mian Zahid Hussain said that after achieving macro-economic stability, government’s efforts must now reflect in micro-level stability at the household and businesses level.
He said that an effective anti-inflation strategy must prioritise fiscal discipline, energy reforms, stronger supply chains and lower business costs.
He expressed concern over the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics’ (PBS) Monthly Review on Price Indices for September 2026.
He said that the Consumer Price Index inflation of 10.3 percent compared with September 2025 remained worrying for the public and the productive sectors of the economy.
While welcoming the moderation from 11.1 percent in August 2026, he noted that prices rose another 1.3 percent month-on-month in September, showing that inflationary pressure on common citizens and the business community persisted.
Mian Zahid Hussain identified the US-Iran war as the principal cause of inflationary pressure in Pakistan, saying that sharp fluctuations in international petroleum prices were impacting economies worldwide.
He added that losses incurred by failing state-owned enterprises, electricity and gas utilities are intensifying the inflationary impact in Pakistan.
Mian Zahid Hussain, who is also the president of the All Karachi Industrial Alliance and chairman of the National Business Group Pakistan, said the Monthly Review on Price Indices recorded year-on-year increases of 32.46 percent in electricity charges, 37.73 percent in motor fuel, 40.96 percent in wheat and 31.71 percent in wheat flour during September 2026. Mian Zahid Hussain said that the annual Wholesale Price Index inflation of 13.3 percent was another warning for the industry.
If inflationary pressure persists, investment in new machinery, production expansion and job creation will also suffer.
He welcomed the prime minister’s petrol subsidy for low-income citizens as an important relief measure and called for further efforts to make other essential goods available at more affordable prices.
Mian Zahid Hussain urged the government to accelerate energy-sector reforms to bring energy costs on par with costs in other countries in the region.
He added that repeated increases in electricity tariffs and additional charges were creating uncertainty for business planning.
Industry needs a clear and predictable tariff framework to make long-term decisions on production costs, export orders and future investment.
Mian Zahid Hussain said effective coordination between the federal and provincial governments was essential to control food inflation.
Decisions should be based on reliable digital data on stocks, market arrivals, movements and demand for wheat, flour and other essential commodities.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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