Rising gold prices, inflationary pressure affect Pakistan’s wedding tradition

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Updated 14 June 2023
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Rising gold prices, inflationary pressure affect Pakistan’s wedding tradition

  • Traders say high gold prices have led to a decline in their business by about 90 percent as families use older jewelry
  • The sales of artificial jewelry have increased by about 75 percent as gold prices hit historic levels in recent months

KARACHI: Sajida Siddique, a mother of three, finds herself anxiously awaiting a miracle as she navigates the preparations for her son’s wedding against the backdrop of skyrocketing gold prices and unprecedented inflation in the country.

The custom of presenting gold jewelry to newlyweds has deep roots in South Asian societies, including Pakistan, where its absence can stir gossip and judgment since adherence to such norms is often viewed as a reflection of a household’s honor and status.

“Bringing a bride without gold [jewelry] is not considered to be a good sign,” Siddique told Arab News. “It is not even the tradition of our family.”

“Our daughter-in-law will be the honor of our house, and we wish to bring her adorned with gold,” she continued. “Relatives and people talk about these things. So, it is compulsory to bring her adorned with gold ornaments.”




Customers are buying artificial gold jewelry from a shop in Karachi on April 12,2023. (AN Photo)

In Pakistan, this extravagant display of wealth is beginning to lose its luster as the surging gold prices force many families to make compromises on the quantity and quality of the precious metal or seek alternative options.

Currently, gold is being traded in the country at approximately Rs221,500 ($781) per tola, equivalent to 11.66 grams. While the prices have slightly decreased from a historic high of around Rs245,000 per tola in the local market, they remain prohibitively high for financially vulnerable social segments.

Siddique revealed that in the past, she had gifted her two daughters around five tolas each, but the prevailing prices now were far beyond her means.

“When my first daughter was married in 2021, the gold price was Rs105,000, which increased to Rs140,000 when the second daughter got married in 2022,” she said.

“Now at the time of my son’s wedding, the prices have shot up to about Rs240,000, making things too difficult,” she continued. “We can’t sleep and pray to Allah to help us bring the bride home with gold adornments in an honorable way.”




A salesman is waiting for customer at a gold shop in Karachi’s Kharadar bullion market on April 12, 2023. (AN photo) 

Pakistan is currently experiencing its highest-ever inflation rate, which reached 38 percent in May and was primarily driven by increases in food and energy prices.

The prevailing economic situation, coupled with high prices, has severely impacted almost every sector of the economy, including the gold business, which heavily relies on weddings and old social traditions. As a result, Pakistan’s growth rate has slowed down to 0.29 percent.

“I have been associated with this business for the last 50 years, and I have never seen such a situation before,” Muhammad Saleem, a 62-year-old gold merchant, told Arab News. “In the past, there used to be a huge rush of buyers at our shops. But now the situation has changed so much that it has become even difficult to sell a gold ring.”

Some traders said they had lost about 85 percent of their business due to the higher prices of gold and declining purchasing power of people.

“People have no savings these days to buy gold and have started giving old jewelry to children,” Muhammad Junaid, the joint secretary of All Pakistan Gems and Jewelers Association, told Arab News in the old city quarters near the Kharadar neighborhood of Karachi.

“Our sales have dropped by 80 to 85 percent,” he said while pointing toward the market. “Just take a look at this place. All shopkeepers are sitting vacant.”

Junaid mentioned that a portion of their current sales comes from individuals who have been investing in gold as a means of future savings, given the uncertain economic situation in the country.

Another gold trader, Arif Soni, highlighted that people have discovered innovative ways to conceal their affordability concerns when purchasing jewelry these days.

“Sometimes they come up with their old jewelry, and sometimes they buy only two tolas and tell us to spread it in a way that it looks somewhere close to 10 tolas,” he said. “People are left with only two options [under the circumstances]. They can either buy food or gold. Obviously, they settle for the first option.”

Some gold traders said they had experienced around a 90 percent decrease in their business due to the current economic situation, which was exacerbated by massive currency devaluation and high inflation.

“Gold business has declined by 90 to 95 percent since [the Muslim fasting month of] Ramadan,” Abdullah Abdul Razzaq Chaand, vice president of the Jewelers Welfare Association, told Arab News.

“The reasons behind the decline in our business include increasing gold rates, [economic] uncertainty, and inflation,” he said, adding: “The five to 10 percent of our remaining business is surviving because of the customers who bring their old jewelry either for polishing or stone and pearl changes.”

Many of those who have completely succumbed to the high inflationary pressure have started taking solace in artificial jewelry, which has largely filled the demand gap, according to traders.

“Our sales have increased by around 75 percent since last year,” Abdul Aziz Barai, a trader of artificial jewelry, said while speaking to Arab News. “Those who are unable to afford come to us since artificial jewelry is a cheap alternative for gold, which is beyond the access of many.”

With fixed incomes and mounting prices of most essential commodities, the country’s salaried class has emerged as the first victim of the current economic meltdown. Siddique says marrying off her son is beginning to feel like an uphill task while staying within her meager family income.


Indian army says Pakistan targeted three Kashmir military bases, Islamabad denies

Updated 17 sec ago
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Indian army says Pakistan targeted three Kashmir military bases, Islamabad denies

  • India said threat neutralized “with kinetic and non-kinetic means,” bases targeted in Jammu, Pathankot and Udhampur 
  • Pakistani Information Minister Attaullah Tarar denied his country’s military had carried out strikes in Jammu on Thursday

SRINAGAR, India: Pakistan on Thursday staged fresh strikes targeting three military stations in Indian-administered Kashmir with missiles and drones but there were no losses, the Indian military said, a charge Islamabad denied.

India said “the threat was neutralized ... with kinetic and non-kinetic means,” adding that the bases targeted were in “Jammu, Pathankot and Udhampur in proximity to the international boundary.”

Blackouts were reported from a swathe of cities in Indian-administered Kashmir, including Jammu, as well as cities in the neighboring state of Punjab such as Amritsar and Jalandhar.

“We can hear loud explosions, it feels like bombs are going off everywhere,” said Varinder Jeet Singh, a senior member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the national ruling party, speaking about Jammu.

“There is a complete blackout.”

Jammu resident Liyakat, who only gave one name, said: “I heard many explosions and electricity was cut off.”

Shesh Paul Vaid, a former director general of police for Jammu and Kashmir, also wrote on social media that there were “loud explosions.”

A security source, who was not authorized to speak to the media, confirmed the explosions.

Pakistani Information Minister Attaullah Tarar denied that his country’s military had carried out strikes in Jammu on Thursday.

On Wednesday, India launched missiles that it said targeted “terrorist camps,” and Pakistan retaliated by scrambling fighter jets and launching artillery fire. 

A day later, India and Pakistan accused each other of carrying out waves of drone attacks.

At least 48 deaths have been reported on both sides since the escalation, 32 of them in Pakistan including children.

Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said Thursday he had spoken to European Union top diplomat Kaja Kallas, adding: 

“India has been measured in its actions. However, any escalation will get a firm response.”

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged India and Pakistan to take immediate steps to de-escalate and engage in “direct dialogue,” as he pressed Islamabad to end any support for “terrorist groups.”


US secretary of state Rubio urges Islamabad and New Delhi to step back

Updated 52 min 24 sec ago
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US secretary of state Rubio urges Islamabad and New Delhi to step back

  • Marco Rubio holds separate phone calls with Pakistani PM and Indian external affairs minister 
  • Urges Pakistan and India to improve communications, engage in “direct dialogue” to de-escalate 

ISLAMABAD: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday held separate telephone calls with Pakistan’s premier and the external affairs minister of India and urged the two nations to engage in “direct dialogue” to de-escalate their ongoing conflict, the state department said. 

India hit Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir, called Azad Kashmir, with missiles on Wednesday and Pakistan said it shot down five Indian aircraft in retaliation in their worst clash in over two decades. Pakistan said 31 civilians were killed in the Indian strikes while New Delhi says it targeted “terror camps.”

On Thursday, Pakistan said it had shot down 29 drones launched by India while New Delhi said it had “neutralized” Islamabad’s attempts to target military targets with drones and missiles.

“He expressed US support for direct dialogue between India and Pakistan and encouraged continued efforts to improve communications,” the state department said in two separate statements after Rubio spoke to Pakistani Premier Shehbaz Sharif and Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar. 

“The Secretary emphasized the need for immediate de-escalation.”

India is an important US partner for Washington, which aims to counter China’s rising influence, while Pakistan remains an ally, despite its diminished importance after the US withdrawal from neighboring Afghanistan in 2021.

Both India and Pakistan claim Muslim-majority Kashmir in full, with each controlling only part and having fought wars in the past over the region.

The latest standoff was triggered by an April 22 attack in Indian-administered Kashmir that New Delhi blamed on Pakistan, which has denied the claims and called for a neutral investigation.


Pakistan’s Chinese-made jet brought down two Indian fighter aircraft — US officials 

Updated 08 May 2025
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Pakistan’s Chinese-made jet brought down two Indian fighter aircraft — US officials 

  • Performance of leading Chinese fighter jet against Western rival is being closely watched in Washington 
  • Episode may offer insights into how Beijing might fare in any showdown over Taiwan or the wider Indo-Pacific

ISLAMABAD/WASHINGTON: A top Chinese-made Pakistani fighter plane shot down at least two Indian military aircraft on Wednesday, two US officials told Reuters, marking a major milestone for Beijing’s advanced fighter jet.
The performance of a leading Chinese fighter jet against a Western rival is being closely watched in Washington for insights into how Beijing might fare in any showdown over Taiwan or the wider Indo-Pacific.
One US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said there was high confidence that Pakistan had used the Chinese-made J-10 aircraft to launch air-to-air missiles against Indian fighter jets — bringing down at least two.
Another official said at least one Indian jet that was shot down was a French-made Rafale fighter aircraft.
Both officials said Pakistan’s F-16 aircraft, made by Lockheed Martin, were not used in the shootdown.
Delhi has not acknowledged the loss of any of its planes and instead said it carried out successful strikes against what it said was “terrorist” infrastructure inside Pakistan.
World powers from the US to Russia and China have called for calm in one of the world’s most dangerous, and most populated, nuclear flashpoint regions.
In France, Rafale manufacturer Dassault Aviation and the MBDA consortium, which makes the Meteor air-to-air missile, could not immediately be reached for comment on a public holiday.
While Reuters reported on Wednesday that three Indian planes went down, citing local government officials in India, this marks the first Western confirmation that Pakistan’s Chinese-made jets were used in the shootdowns.
Pakistan’s Defense minister, Khawaja Muhammad Asif, told Reuters on Thursday that the J-10 was used to shoot down three French-made Rafale planes, which were newly acquired by India. 
Pakistan says it downed five Indian planes in air-to-air combat. 


Indian villagers near Pakistan border call for ceasefire as shelling kills at least 13

Updated 08 May 2025
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Indian villagers near Pakistan border call for ceasefire as shelling kills at least 13

  • The shelling damaged several religious sites, including a temple, a Sikh shrine and a mosque
  • Statement released by India said dead include three women, five children killed in “Pakistani firing”

Poonch, Indian-administered Kashmir: Indian villagers called for a ceasefire on Thursday after at least 13 civilians were killed by what authorities said was Pakistani shelling in Poonch, along the India-Pakistan border, in Jammu and Kashmir.

The shelling damaged several religious sites, including a temple, a Sikh shrine, and a mosque.

“We appeal to the government that there should be a ceasefire as soon as possible. There should be peace and harmony,” said a villager Malkeet Singh.

A statement released by the Indian government on Thursday said 16 lives, including three women and five children, were lost “due to Pakistani firing.”

Pakistan said at least 31 of its civilians were killed and about 50 wounded in Wednesday’s strikes and in cross-border shelling across the frontier in Kashmir.

The nuclear-armed neighbors’ tit-for-tat measures began after gunmen opened fire in the Baisaran Valley, a popular tourist attraction in Indian-administered Kashmir’s Pahalgam area, on the afternoon of April 22, killing 26 people and wounding several others before fleeing into the surrounding pine forests.

Although Pakistan’s federal government has pledged to respond to India’s strikes, Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif told The New York Times on Wednesday Pakistan was ready to de-escalate.

Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said New Delhi did not intend to escalate the situation. 

“However, if there are military attacks on us, there should be no doubt that it will be met with a very, very firm response,” he said at India-Iran Joint Commission Meeting.

“Our livestock and belongings are all gone. Nothing is left. This shelling must stop, and there should be peace. For God’s sake, give us peace. We want peace for everyone,” said a resident of Uri on the Indian side of the border.


Silent streets, shuttered shops: Fear grips Kotli after India strikes in Azad Kashmir

Updated 08 May 2025
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Silent streets, shuttered shops: Fear grips Kotli after India strikes in Azad Kashmir

  • District official says missile strike on house and mosque killed two siblings and injured two others
  • Residents deny India’s claim of targeting ‘terrorist infrastructure,’ say civilians were the target

KOTLI, Azad Kashmir: A convoy of journalists escorted by the Pakistani military and officials traveled through the scenic but tense roads of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) this week, arriving in the afternoon in Kotli, where an Indian strike on a mosque on Wednesday early morning had killed two people.
The usually bustling city stood silent, its shops shuttered, roads empty and anxious residents watching from a distance.
Amid the most intense military flare-up between nuclear-armed India and Pakistan in decades, New Delhi said it had struck nine “terrorist infrastructure” sites in Pakistan and AJK early Wednesday. AJK is the part of the disputed Kashmir valley administered by Pakistan while Jammu and Kashmir is a region administered by India.
India described Wednesday’s strikes as retaliation for an April 22 attack in its part of Kashmir that killed 26 tourists. Delhi attributed that attack to Pakistan, a claim Islamabad has repeatedly denied.
Pakistani authorities said six locations were hit across the country during Indian strikes, resulting in 31 deaths and 57 injuries. The Pakistan army spokesperson said the military responded by downing five Indian aircraft.
“It [the attack] happened after 12:30 a.m. on [Wednesday], when people were asleep and were jolted awake by the sound of the blasts,” Dawood Ahmed, a local resident, told Arab News near the mosque in Kotli that was hit by Indian strikes. 
“It happened so suddenly, and people were so terrified that they rushed out of their homes with their children ... We thought a major attack had occurred and that Kotli had been surrounded.”
Ahmed said the Nakial sector on the Line of Control (LoC), the restive de facto border separating the Pakistani and Indian sides of Kashmir, was about 22 kilometers from the area.
“So, we are not used to regular firing or skirmishes,” he added. “This was something entirely new for us.”
Asked about the Indian claim that it had targeted a militant facility, Ahmed said the building was just a mosque. No one lived there and it was occupied only when the imam came to lead prayers.
Arab News could not independently verify this. 

“PLACE OF WORSHIP”

Nasir Rafiq, the area’s deputy commissioner, said a house located next to the mosque was also hit by the Indian strikes. 
“Two people, a 19-year-old girl and a 12-year-old boy, both siblings, were killed in the attack, and two others were injured including a woman and her son,” he told Arab News, standing in front of the destroyed house and mosque.
He said the siblings, both students, had come from the nearby Nakial town. The elder sister was attending university and the younger brother was in school.
As the media delegation remained at the site, more residents gathered, listening closely to the conversations between journalists and locals.
Dr. Mazhar Iqbal Tahir, head of a local hospital, said the blast was so massive that staff couldn’t immediately understand what had happened.
“We immediately imposed emergency [at the hospital] and called all doctors and health care professionals,” he told Arab News.
Tahir said the hospital treated the injured, but both siblings had died before they were brought in.
Umar Farooq, a local university professor, said Kotli was one of the most populated cities in AJK and far from the LoC, questioning how India could have bombed such a place.
“There is no military target here, there is no paramilitary target here, and this is the question that I am raising,” he told Arab News.
“Just take a look around,” he said, gesturing toward the mosque. “This is a place of worship. India is the signatory of the Geneva Conventions and other international humanitarian agreements. Still they have done this to us.”