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Fabricated price-hike and selling of eatable commodities on choicest rates, especially during every Ramadan, has become a tradition of hoarding traders of mafia that has made the life of citizens miserable, through-out the country. Citizens from all walks of life especially poor and their families hardly eat once a day and are crying of hunger & thrust to rescue their survival, beyond their source of income.
In day to day eatable commodities available, earlier, citizens could only dream of mutton and seldom could afford to buy beef, cow and chicken. Sooner their ability failed to reach a capacity of buying said eatables even eggs, became out of affordable reach due to exorbitant price-hike after short intervals that never could be restored to a previous affordable limit of citizens. Good governance depends on the availability of eatables for day to day use within affordable reach of the common man.
Currently, the prices of each vegetable that come in the common use of citizens, rose-up beyond purchasing limits of poor and middle-class citizens. Availability of each common vegetable suddenly rose to exorbitant prices, such as onion, potato, cucumber, little finger, tomato, garlic, ginger, spinach, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, green chilli, zucchini, green bean, eggplant, bell pepper, coriander, bitter gourd, cauliflower, bottle gourd, lemon, lettuce, etc. Additionally, the prices of grain powder and sugar already rose to extremely high prices.
During Ramadan, on one hand, while noble Muslims worship ’30 days refresher-course of Ramadan’ to bow before Allah to earn His Blessings; on the other hand, black-marketers, both whole-seller & retailer await this self-created occasion to materialize their price-hike for well-planned commercial gains, enthusiastically, defying the actual education of Sunnah & Allah.
Black-marketers, fearlessly launch loot & plunder of self-created price-hike, challenging the writ of Government by their ‘Might Is Right’ to earn maximum profit at the cost of the citizen. In the year-2020, we observed the holy month of Ramadan in April-May, total 30 days with Eid-Ul-Fitr on 25 May. Now Muslims are eager to observe next Ramadan in April-2021. But, equally the black-marketers, are counting days for their pre-stocking to plant shortage first, then their selling on exorbitant prices with the choicest margin of profit, as usual. In this way, their choicest and self-created price-hike, goes-on in continuance. What makes to cause price-hike and why the price-hike over decades is not coming under control?
Precaution before anticipated occurrence is always wise and pay dividends but action after the occurrence, is always careless, like reaching platform after the departure of the train, the difference of strategies to visualize and act accordingly. Knowingly, the price-hike, concerned quarters pull-up their socks after happening, hue & cry, instead of pre-planned strategy to control it. Regardless of Hoarders, Whole-Sellers and Retail-Sellers, all attribute reasons of ‘Price-Hike’ to the points of their purchase, in chain w/out any origin. Everyone in his own place willfully shares and practice price-hike of his choice & design and pleads himself innocent.
On contrary, GCC countries, especially KSA, maintain prices fixed by the government. During Ramadan, they sell all eatable items with no profit no loss to the extent of ‘Buy One Get One Free or Two Free’ to please Allah. This is seen live on each Ramadan around Masjid Al-Haram at Makkah and Masjid Al-Nabawi at Medina, where full diets are distributed free by noble citizens at each Iftar & Suhoor, in lobbies, openly regardless of people of colour, caste, creed, rich or poor and nationality, without disclosing their identity to earn Sabaab directly from Allah w/out show-off. This selfless noble gesture is being rewarded by Allah, ten times more.
While PTI Govt under the leadership of PM Imran Khan is endeavouring control on occasional fictitious price-hike and facilitating Shelter Homes, offering free boarding & lodging to needy people, as a goodwill gesture.
It is requested to focus the traditional and self-created price-hike in normal days, as presently, especially during every Ramadan and undertake measures to foil evil genius designs of Black-Marketing Mafia, creating fictitious price-hike. This social menace is not only affecting each common man but also bringing bad name to the nation against principles of Riasat-e-Medinah, the slogan of Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan.
Author ; Hasan Adil Malik
