Islamabad : In a late-night development that has sent shockwaves across the country, the government has raised petrol prices to an unprecedented Rs458 per litre.
This would have a direct effect on transportation costs, daily essential commodities, utilities bills, and living expenses, putting immense pressure on already burdened household budgets.
Families in twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad are grappling with short term and long term consequences of this increase, as inflation continues to diminish the purchasing power and forcing them to change their lifestyle and trying to adjust with their limited and constricting budgets.
For the average household, fuel is not just a transportation cost, it directly increases the food prices, school expenses, electricity bills, and health expenses.
With transportation fares expected to rise sharply, families are now cutting down on their non-essential spending and prioritizing necessities over luxury.
Shahida Naseer, a homemaker from Rawalpindi shared, “We used to plan weekly grocery trips, but now even stepping out worries us. We step out if we have four to five chores because taking the vehicle or motorcycle out for one chore turns out to be very expensive. Prices of meat, vegetables, flour, and milk have already increased. Managing the kitchen within a fixed budget has become nearly impossible. Our salary is not increased with the increase of fuel price,” she said.
To cope with rising costs, many families are turning to online alternatives now. Regular trips to malls, markets would be reduced.
Fatima, who is a student and preparing for her cousins wedding, said that brands have increased their prices exponentially.
Everything has become quite expensive. How can we buy a good thing within our budget? Online shopping for groceries and essentials is becoming more common as it helps reduce travel expenses. However, delivery charges still remains a concern for a single item.
Educational patterns are also shifting now. The government announced holidays and then online classes after Iran-Israel war when fuel crisis hit the country. But now after the resumption of regular classes of schools, colleges and universities, the students and their parents would bear the brunt of fuel increase. Ryan, a university student, said: “Fuel prices have made it difficult to travel daily. I use public transport which would increase their fare now. I’ve started attending more online lectures, even though it affects interaction and learning quality.” The families are reducing outings, limiting visits to relatives, and avoiding recreational activities such as dining out etc.
