SWABI/KHYBER: Prices of essential commodities, including fruit and vegetable, have soared in Swabi and Khyber districts just ahead of Eidul Fitr and there seems to be no official check on traders in this regard.

In Swabi, tomatoes were sold at Rs60 per kilogramme on Friday and its price jumped to Rs160 per kg on Saturday, registering an increase of Rs100 per kg.

The per kg price of onion increased from Rs60 to Rs80, garlic from Rs100 to Rs130, potato from Rs50 to Rs80, pumpkin from Rs40 to Rs70, brinjal from Rs50 to Rs80, okra from Rs100 to Rs120, cabbage from Rs50 to Rs80 and lemon from Rs600 to Rs800.

The fruit prices also increased in the last few days.

Banana per dozen price hiked from Rs200 to Rs250, watermelon from Rs40 per kg to Rs60 per kg, melon from Rs250 to Rs450 per five kg, peach from Rs200 per kg to Rs250 per kg and apricot from Rs100 to Rs150 per kg, while the price of apple remained between Rs200 and Rs400 per kg, depending on quality of the fruit.

The butchers were selling beef at Rs700 per kilogramme instead of Rs450 per kg officially fixed price and mutton at Rs1,300 instead of Rs800.

The residents have criticised the district administration for not fulfilling its responsibility to check and stablise prices of essential commodities despite so-called surprise raids in bazaars.

In Khyber district, customers in three major markets of Khyber also complained about inflated prices of essential food commodities and other items. Customers thronged Landi Kotal business centre, Bara Market and Jamrud Bazaar on Sunday in anticipation of Eidul Fitr.

Most of the customers preferred buying fresh fruit and vegetable, bakery items and dry fruit.

Mansoor Khan, a young buyer in Landi Kotal, said that prices of dry fruit had increased this year along with fresh fruit and vegetable just ahead of Eid.

He said that traditionally residents of Khyber offered dry fruit with green tea to their guests and relatives on Eid days, while fresh fruit was also served along with bakery items.

Sajid Ali, a resident of Jamrud, said vermicelli was also served with tea soon after Eid prayers in the morning while some families cook rice with beef or mutton.

Shopkeepers, however, argued that an increase in the prices of commodities had affected their sales. They said that a recent restriction on Afghans coming to Pakistan via Torkham border had also affected their sales as a large number of Afghans living on the other side of the border would come to Landi Kotal for Eid shopping.

Published in Dawn, May 2nd, 2022