Empty promises and soaring prices

Like previous polls, slogans and manifestos of contesting political parties have emerged to bring about a revolution in people’s lives after their win in the February 2024 general elections. However, massive food inflation and unbearable utility bills before the new election compared to previous 2018 polls expose the rosy promises of elected candidates that nothing has been done to bring down consumers’ cost of living. The food inflation was not as high during PTI’s tenure compared to the coalition led by Shehbaz Sharif from April 2022 to August 2023, allowing the manufacturers and market players to play havoc with the commodity prices. Then, the existing caretaker government brought more misery to the already inflation-hit people. The meteoric rise in gas and power tariffs has ruined many people’s lives, forcing them to think twice before doing anything or securing loans to settle any domestic issue. No party is focusing on the economy’s core issues in the short run or how to overcome the challenges of huge external debt payments in the long run The issue of suicide cases has also surfaced in the last two years, compelling the sole bread earners to take the lives of their wives and children for failing to meet daily requirements or owing to becoming defaulters. In some cases, mothers took the lives of their children. Soaring food inflation was tackled as a secondary issue from Imran Khan’s tenure till the current caretaker government.