Balochistan [Pakistan] February 16 (ANI): Flour rates in Quetta continue to defy expectations of a slowdown, piling fresh misery onto households already buckling under record inflation. Surveys show that the commodity, central to nearly every meal, is steadily drifting further from the grasp of ordinary buyers.

Traders in different parts of the city are selling a 50-kilogram bag for roughly Rs 6600 to Rs. 6800, while a smaller 20-kilogram pack is going for Rs 2650 to Rs 2750. Residents say the figures would have been unthinkable just a short while ago, yet authorities appear unable or unwilling to reverse the trend, as reported by The Express Tribune.

According to The Express Tribune, people from low and middle-income neighbourhoods describe a daily calculation of what to forgo. Many stated that earnings have remained stagnant while food bills climb relentlessly, forcing families to reduce consumption, borrow, or depend on relatives. Community elders argue that weak enforcement has emboldened retailers, who continue to revise prices upward with little fear of accountability. The anxiety is sharper because Ramazan is around the corner. Traditionally a period of higher food use, the month now looms as an added financial test. Vulnerable residents fear they may not be able to store even the minimum quantity of flour required for sehri and iftar.

Citizens are pressing for immediate intervention, calling for subsidies, tighter inspections, and penalties against profiteering. Without swift action, they warn, the credibility of official promises about relief will erode further, and hardship will deepen, as cited by The Express Tribune.

The situation in Quetta mirrors wider strains across Balochistan, where transportation bottlenecks and supply complications have kept prices elevated compared with other provinces. For many families, patience has run out; what they seek now is visible, practical relief rather than assurances, as reported by The Express Tribune. (ANI)