Protesting soaring prices: Three-day fruit boycott begins

The country-wide boycott of fruits started on Friday following a call on social media asking people to do so in order to bring down the soaring prices.

Sindh government and Karachi commissioner have also expressed their support for the boycott.

Many citizens believe that this is the only solution to the prevailing problem. “I will boycott the purchase of fruits for sure,” said one of the citizens.

The vendors at a fruit market on Karachi’s Super Highway remarked that if the people decide to boycott purchase of fruits then it will definitely affect the market. However, some were skeptical regarding the success of the social movement.

One of the vendors also said that the fruit is not expensive at the market. The prices are increased as soon as fruit reaches the city, he added.

However, this claim was challenged by vendors, who sell fruits in the city. They claimed that fruits are sold to them at an expensive rate.

Speaking over the matter, Sindh Transport Minister Nasir Shah remarked that Pakistan Peoples Party is with people in the fruit boycott. The boycott is the start of crackdown against profiteers, he added.

Call for three-day boycott

Concerned citizens had launched a movement on social media asking for three-day boycott of buying fruits. The messages, which started circulating on WhatsApp Wednesday night, asked people to boycott the purchase of fruits from June 2 to June 4 in order to bring their prices down to a normal level.

In Ramazan, vendors tend to increase prices of essential items whose sale spikes as the demand increases. However, some sellers claim the rise in prices is not man-made but natural as demand increases manifold.

In 2010, when sugar prices had skyrocketed, economists had suggested that lesser intake would ultimately weaken demand, and lead to a price crash in the open market.

Commodities missing in utility stores

People tired of the hike in prices of commodities were also seen at a utility store in Faisalabad.

“It is unfair that commodities which normally cost Rs60 or Rs80 are sold for Rs160 or Rs180 during Ramazan,” remarked one of the customers.

Moreover, essential commodities such as sugar and flour were missing from the utility stores, adding to the woes of the people.

“I have been here since morning but there is no sugar available,” said another customer.

However, the shop keeper assured that it is a temporary problem which will be resolved soon.