Senator Sherry Rehman today voiced serious concern over escalating food prices ahead of Ramzan, cautioning that a deepening cost-of-living crisis is threatening millions of households with increased vulnerability as nearly a quarter of the nation grapples with food insecurity.
While praising the country’s strong tradition of philanthropy, Senator Rehman emphasised that institutional responsibility must be significantly scaled up to address the magnitude of the current need. ‘As Ramzan approaches, Pakistan’s outstanding spirit of charity will surely remember all those who cannot put food on their tables,’ she stated. ‘But at an institutional level we must also do more, especially when food prices are rising again and hitting low-income families the hardest.’
Citing the latest Household Integrated Economic Survey, she highlighted a troubling trend, with food-insecure households surging from 15.9 percent in 2018-19 to a projected 24.4 percent in 2024-25. The data indicates that urban food insecurity has more than doubled to 20.6 percent, while the figure in rural areas remains even higher at 26.7 percent. ‘This crisis is not abstract,’ Senator Rehman asserted. ‘It is showing up in kitchens across Pakistan every single day.’
The senator also underscored the staggering economic fallout from malnutrition, which she said costs the nation in excess of Rs4.76 trillion annually through lost productivity and heightened healthcare burdens. ‘These are not just human costs, which are enormous in themselves. These are economic losses that Pakistan simply cannot afford,’ she added.
Welcoming the government’s announcement of a Rs38 billion Ramzan relief package targeting over 12 million families through digital transfers, she described the initiative as an important and timely step. ‘The relief package is a good move to cushion the blow for struggling households,’ she acknowledged, but cautioned, ‘relief alone cannot solve structural inflation.
Senator Rehman urged authorities to ensure that officially notified price lists are reflective of actual market conditions and called for strict enforcement against profiteering and hoarding. She also stressed the need for better monitoring of essential goods at ‘sasta’ and ‘bachat’ bazaars, which serve as a lifeline for many low-income families. ‘If prices are not being enforced and quality remains poor, then relief will only go so far,’ she warned.
‘Ramzan is a month of compassion – but also a month of accountability,’ Senator Rehman concluded. ‘In a country where nearly one in four households is food-insecure, ensuring fair prices is not just sound economic management. It is a moral responsibility for the state.’