Soaring inflation, political uncertainty dampen Eid shopping in Pakistan

Women buy jewelry from a seller in Karachi, Pakistan, on April 27, 2022. (AN Photo)
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Updated 03 May 2022
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Soaring inflation, political uncertainty dampen Eid shopping in Pakistan

  • Traders estimate their sales ahead of Eid Al-Fitr were Rs25 billion, compared with Rs30 billion last year
  • A significant drop in sales has been observed for branded products, especially for women

KARACHI: Rising inflation and political uncertainty have dampened the festive spirit of shopping in Pakistan ahead of the Muslim holiday season of Eid Al-Fitr, traders say, as their sales this year are even lower than during pandemic lockdowns.
Eid is the biggest holiday of the year in Pakistan, when families get together and relatives and friends exchange gifts and dress up in new clothes. In the run-up to celebrations, markets traditionally observe a surge in shopping, with people buying jewelry, clothing, and shoes.
While last year a rise in coronavirus cases and related restrictions led to a drop in trade activity ahead of Eid, with businesses saying their profits had fallen by half, this time their sales have plunged even further.
“The sales are below when compared with the last year’s sales when the traders were facing COVID-19 related restrictions,” Kashif Chaudhry, president of Markazi Tanzeem-e-Tajran Pakistan (Central Organization of Pakistani Traders), told Arab News.




Women and girls buy jewelry at a shop in Karachi, Pakistan, on April 27, 2022. (AN Photo)

“We expect that the sales volume would remain below as compared to Rs30 billion ($162 million) worth of sales last year in Karachi,” he said, adding that in the commercial hub of Pakistan half of shoppers who visit markets are only “window shopping.”
Atiq Mir, chairman of All Karachi Tajir Ittehad, an umbrella organization of major business centers in the city, expects that this year the sales volume would be between Rs20 million and Rs25 million.
He added that weeks of recent political turmoil in Pakistan — that led to the ouster of former PM Imran Khan in a no-confidence vote in April — had made buyers more wary about expenditure.
Many of those who shop avoid buying more expensive products.
“Visitors are only buying low-priced goods from the markets and many buyers are confined to purchase only most needed articles,” Mir said.




Customers buy shoes ahead of Eid Al-Fitr in Karachi, Pakistan, on April 27, 2022. (AN Photo)

A significant drop in sales has been observed for branded products, especially for women.
“The sales performance, particularly ladies branded products sales, is comparatively low mainly due to the high inflation and low purchasing power of people,” Rana Tariq Mehboob, chairman of the Chainstore Association of Pakistan — a representative body of over 200 brands — told Arab News.
Pakistan is facing increasing inflationary pressure with a 12.7 percent annual inflation rate recorded in the month of March 2022 as compared with 12.24 percent in February 2022, which is driven mainly by higher prices of commodities in the international market, particularly of petroleum products.




Artificial jewelry is displayed at a shop in Karachi, Pakistan, on April 27, 2022. (AN Photo)

“The prices of local and imported goods and raw material and have increased manifold due to devaluation of the Pakistani rupee against dollar and petroleum products rate hikes,” Mehbood said.
Customers say what stops them from buying more is a sharp increase in prices.
“We are doing Eid shopping. Everything is available and fine, but the prices are more than last year,” one buyer in Karachi, Kanza Nasir, told Arab News.
Traders are aware that the sharp increase in prices is what keeps buyers at bay.
“People make two to three rounds before finally buying because they are unable to afford the goods at higher prices. Customers first buy for their children and then for themselves,” shoe seller Irshad Alam said.
Another trader, Shahryar Ahmed, added that he was not surprised their sales were much lower.
“A product that was available for Rs200 is now being sold at Rs 500,” he said. “That is why our sales have dropped to half.”


Türkiye reaffirms solidarity with Pakistan after Kashmir attack, urges restraint amid regional tensions

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Türkiye reaffirms solidarity with Pakistan after Kashmir attack, urges restraint amid regional tensions

  • The Turkish envoy in Islamabad meets PM Sharif, says Ankara appreciates Pakistan’s position
  • Sharif says Pakistan’s focus remains on economic recovery, which requires regional peace

ISLAMABAD: Türkiye has reaffirmed its solidarity with Pakistan following the April 22 attack at a tourist hotspot in Indian-administered Kashmir while calling for de-escalation and restraint to preserve peace in South Asia, the Prime Minister’s Office in Islamabad said on Saturday.
The assault in Pahalgam, a popular destination in the disputed Himalayan region, killed 26 tourists last month. India accused Pakistan of orchestrating the attack, an allegation Islamabad has since denied repeatedly.
The Pakistani administration has also called for an international investigation into the incident, warning that India’s claims risk further inflaming tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbors.
With Islamabad engaged in active diplomacy to project its stance over the issue, Turkish Ambassador Dr. Irfan Neziroglu met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and conveyed Ankara’s appreciation for Pakistan’s response earlier today.
“The Turkish Ambassador informed the Prime Minister that Türkiye appreciated Pakistan’s position and expressed its solidarity with Pakistan while calling for de-escalation and urging restraint in the current crisis to maintain peace and security in South Asia,” the Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement.
During the meeting, Sharif reiterated Pakistan’s offer for a credible, transparent and neutral international probe into the Pahalgam attack and welcomed Türkiye’s potential participation in such an inquiry.
Last month, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan had urged both India and Pakistan to exercise restraint after the attack.
Pakistan and Türkiye share close diplomatic, economic and defense ties.
Turkish defense firms have helped modernize Pakistan’s Agosta 90B-class submarines and supplied military equipment including drones and targeting systems.
The two countries also hold regular joint military exercises, most recently the Ataturk-XIII drills aimed at enhancing interoperability.
Sharif also told the Turkish envoy that Pakistan’s focus remained on economic recovery and growth, which required peace and stability in the region.
He highlighted Pakistan’s longstanding struggle against militant violence, pointing out the country had sacrificed 90,000 lives and incurred $152 billion of losses.


Five militants killed, two apprehended in separate operations in Pakistan’s northwest

Updated 03 May 2025
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Five militants killed, two apprehended in separate operations in Pakistan’s northwest

  • A paramilitary troop was killed in Balochistan amid reports of attacks on a passenger bus and government buildings in the province
  • Pakistan has been battling twin insurgencies in its western provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan that border Afghanistan

ISLAMABAD: Five militants, belonging to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), were killed and two others were apprehended in three separate operations in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, the Pakistani military said on Saturday.
Pakistani security forces killed three militants, including a high-value target, in an intelligence-based operation in KP’s Bajaur district, according to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the military’s media wing.
Two TTP militants were killed in the second operation in the North Waziristan district, while security forces busted a TTP hideout in the Mohmand district and arrested two members of the outlawed group.
“Weapons, ammunition and explosives were also recovered from these khwarij (TTP militants), who remained actively involved in numerous terrorist activities,” the ISPR said in a statement.
“Sanitization operations are being conducted to eliminate any other kharji found in the area.”
Pakistan has struggled to contain surging militancy in KP in recent years, where the Pakistani Taliban, or the TTP, have mounted their attacks against security forces and police since their fragile, months-long truce with Islamabad broke down in late 2022.
Late last month, the Pakistani military said it had killed 71 militants in three days of operations in the North Waziristan district that borders Afghanistan.
The number was usually high in Pakistan’s battle against militancy and instability along its border with Afghanistan during the nearly four years since the United States withdrew its military support from the country and the Taliban took over Kabul.
Islamabad has frequently accused Afghanistan of supporting the Pakistani Taliban and other militant groups, an allegation denied by Kabul.
Pakistan is also facing an intensifying separatist insurgency in the southwestern Balochistan province.
On Friday, a Levies paramilitary troop was killed in an attack on a check-post in Balochistan’s Kalat district, while there were reports of militant attacks on government buildings in Mangochar city, according to a Levies official.
“One Levies soldier was killed after gunmen targeted a Levies check-post in Kot Langove, an area of Kalat district,” Levies official Muhammad Ramzan told Arab News.
“Many armed militants obstructed the Quetta-Karachi highway in Mangochar and there are reports that many government buildings were torched in Mangochar Bazaar.”
The official said they were gathering more details about the incidents.
In another attack, armed men targeted a passenger bus heading to Karachi from Quetta in Khad Kocha area near Mastung.
“Six passengers were injured in the attack who were later shifted to Nawab Ghosh Bukhsh Memorial Hospital,” Mastung Deputy Commissioner Raja Atthar Abbas told Arab News.
“They were the same militants who attempted to take control of the highway in Kalat, but couldn’t succeed in blocking the road.”
No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attacks, but suspicions are likely to fall on Baloch separatists.
In March, fighters from the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) separatist group hijacked the Jaffar Express train in Balochistan’s Bolan region, holding hundreds of passengers hostage.
The military launched a rescue operation in which 354 passengers were freed and 33 militants were killed. Officials said the hijacking killed 31 soldiers, railway staff and civilians.


Pakistani kickboxer Abdullah Chandio defeats Jordanian opponent in Karate Combat-54 event in Dubai

Updated 03 May 2025
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Pakistani kickboxer Abdullah Chandio defeats Jordanian opponent in Karate Combat-54 event in Dubai

  • The 24-year-old defeated Jordan’s Ali Alqaisi via unanimous decision after three rounds
  • Chandio, who hails from Karachi, made an impressive international debut in October 2022

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani kickboxer Abdullah Chandio on Friday defeated his Jordanian opponent Ali Alqaisi in the Karate Combat-54 event in Dubai.
Chandio has been competing in the ongoing KC-54 championship in Dubai along with another Pakistani fighter Shahzaib Rind.
The 24-year-old defeated his Jordanian opponent via a unanimous decision after three rounds.
“The heat from multiple days all got unleashed tonight, and bother[ed] fighters gave it all they had,” Karate Combat wrote on their Instagram account.
“Abdullah Chandio takes the win after 3 intense rounds with Alqaisi.”
Karate Combat is a brand which promotes the first professional full-contact karate league. It has been hosting worldwide events since April 2018.
Chandio, 24, who hails from Karachi, made an impressive international debut in 2022 by knocking out his Indian opponent Muhammad Shuhaib in the BKK Kickboxing Championship in Dubai.


Pakistan test-fires surface-to-surface missile amid strained ties with India

Updated 03 May 2025
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Pakistan test-fires surface-to-surface missile amid strained ties with India

  • India-Pakistan tensions have soared after New Delhi blamed an attack in Indian-administered Kashmir, which killed 26 tourists on April 22, on Pakistan
  • Islamabad has denied involvement and said India was using the attack as a pretext to conduct strikes against Pakistan, vowing to defend its sovereignty

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has conducted a successful training launch of a surface-to-surface missile that has a range of 450 kilometers, the Pakistani military said on Saturday, amid heightened tensions with India.
India-Pakistan tensions have soared after New Delhi blamed an attack in Indian-administered Kashmir, which killed 26 tourists on April 22, on Pakistan. Islamabad has denied involvement and called for a credible international probe.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given his military “full operational freedom” to respond to the attack, while Pakistan’s top military brass on Friday vowed to defend the country’s sovereignty after a minister said an Indian strike was “imminent.”
“Pakistan today conducted a successful training launch of the Abdali Weapon System — a surface-to-surface missile with a range of 450 kilometers, said the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the Pakistani military’s media wing.
“The launch was aimed at ensuring the operational readiness of troops and validating key technical parameters, including the missile’s advanced navigation system and enhanced manoeuvrability features.”
India and Pakistan have exchanged diplomatic barbs, expelled each other’s citizens and shut border since the April 22 attack. India has suspended the 1960 World Bank-brokered Indus Waters Treaty that ensures water for 80 percent of Pakistani farms, with Islamabad describing it as an “act of war.”
The two nuclear-armed countries have exchanged gunfire for nine consecutive nights along their de facto border in Kashmir, according to Indian defense officials. There has been no comment by the Pakistani military on the skirmishes.
There have been fears that the latest crisis between the nuclear-armed rivals who have fought three wars, including two over the disputed region of Kashmir, could spiral into a military conflict.
Saturday’s missile launch was witnessed by the senior military officials as well as scientists and engineers from Pakistan’s strategic organizations, according to the ISPR.
“The president, prime minister of Pakistan, chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, and services chiefs extended their congratulations to the participating troops, scientists and engineers,” it said.
“They expressed complete confidence in the operational preparedness and technical proficiency of Pakistan’s strategic forces to ensure credible minimum deterrence and safeguard national security against any aggression.”
Kashmir has been a flashpoint between India and Pakistan since their independence in 1947. The region is divided between the two countries, though both claim it in full.
Since 1989, several Kashmiri groups have carried out attacks in Indian-administered Kashmir, seeking independence or a merger with Pakistan. India accuses Pakistan of supporting these groups — a charge Islamabad denies, insisting it offers only diplomatic and political support to Kashmiris.
The United Nations (UN), United States, China, which shares its border with Indian and Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Iran and several other countries have urged restraint and asked both sides to resolve the latest crisis through dialogue.


Death toll from oil tanker explosion in Pakistan’s southwest rises to 11

Updated 03 May 2025
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Death toll from oil tanker explosion in Pakistan’s southwest rises to 11

  • The incident took place in Balochistan’s Nushki district on Monday afternoon when a tanker filled with fuel caught fire at an oil depot
  • Social media footage showed dozens of people fleeing the scene after the tanker exploded, with thick, black smoke rising into the sky

KARACHI: Nine injured of this week’s oil tanker explosion in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province have succumbed to their wounds, a spokesperson for the Edhi Foundation rescue service said on Saturday, bringing the death toll to 11.
The incident took place in Balochistan’s Nushki district on Monday afternoon when a tanker filled with fuel caught fire at an oil depot, leaving one man dead and injuring over 40 others.
In the footage widely shared on social media platforms, dozens of people could be seen fleeing the scene as the oil tanker exploded, sending plumes of thick black smoke and flames into the sky.
Twenty-four of the critically injured persons were airlifted to the southern port city of Karachi on Tuesday. Of them, one died mid-flight, while another nine people succumbed to wounds during treatment.
“Of the remaining 23 injured, 17 were admitted to Liaquat National Hospital and six to Patel Hospital [in Karachi],” Muhammad Amin, an Edhi Foundation official, told Arab News.
“Six patients died at Liaquat National Hospital and three others passed away during treatment at Patel Hospital.”
Nushki police said this week the tanker filled with fuel caught fire due to welding work nearby, and the driver drove away the burning vehicle from the oil depot and parked it in an open field where it exploded.
Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti had expressed grief over the incident and directed authorities to provide immediate medical care to the injured.
“A complete and transparent investigation into the Nushki incident has been ordered,” he was quoted as saying by local media.
Oil tanker explosions can be caused by several factors such as collisions, overheating of the engine or overfilling which can build unnecessary pressure on the tank.
In 2017, 212 people were killed in Pakistan when a tanker carrying 40,000 liters of fuel overturned after trying to make a sharp turn while traveling from Pakistan’s Karachi city to Lahore on a highway.