Overview
- Official Pakistan Bureau of Statistics data for Jan 1–8 show 20kg flour bags rising by Rs40 to Rs590 week over week, with Islamabad the most expensive at Rs2,893.33 and Sargodha recording the biggest jump of Rs590.
- In major cities, prices reached Rs2,866.47 in Rawalpindi, Rs2,850 in Peshawar, Rs2,600 in Karachi and Rs1,850 in Lahore, while Faisalabad held at Rs1,810 during the same period.
- New local reporting from Peshawar links fresh increases to a partial restriction on supply from Punjab, puts a 20kg bag at up to Rs2,700, and notes bakers cutting loaf weights as officials seek relief through interprovincial coordination.
- Residents and traders in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa attribute surging costs to hoarding and weak oversight, noting that recent border closures undermine earlier claims that smuggling to Afghanistan is driving current spikes.
- Sahiwal markets report roughly 30% retail gains to Rs130–135 per kg and Rs1,850 for 15kg, while economists warn further increases risk deepening poverty and call for activated price-control and anti-profiteering enforcement.