Pakistani Eid essential, bangles, faces manufacturing crisis amid record inflation

Different variety of bangles are displayed at a wholesale market in Karachi, Pakistan, on April 16, 2023 ahead of Eid Al-Fitr. (AN photo)
Short Url
Updated 21 April 2023
Follow

Pakistani Eid essential, bangles, faces manufacturing crisis amid record inflation

  • Manufacturers and sellers complain of high production costs leading to a 40 percent decline in sales
  • Prices of basic raw materials have surged by about 65 percent, production had declined by about 30 percent

KARACHI: Bangles, among the most popular ornaments worn by women and girls during the festival of Eid Al-Fitr, have been hit hard by inflation, with manufacturers and sellers complaining of high production costs leading to a 40 percent decline in sales.

In Pakistan, Chand Raat, or Moon Night, the eve of Eid, is marked by Muslims preparing for the festival by stocking up on food, henna and bangles. But soaring prices have pushed Pakistanis to tighten their purse strings this festive season, one of the toughest in years as households struggle to contend with soaring energy and food bills.

Muslim majority Pakistan, home to more than 230 million people, is facing one of its worst economic crises in recent history. The South Asian nation has less than a month’s worth of foreign exchange reserves and is awaiting a bailout package of $1.1 billion from the IMF that has been delayed since November over issues related to fiscal policy adjustments.

Consumer price inflation in Pakistan jumped to a record 35.37 percent in March from a year earlier, with at least 16 people killed in stampedes for food aid during Ramadan.

The bangle industry is also suffering.

“The sales of bangles this year have declined by almost 40 percent, and the prices have doubled since last year,” Muhammad Shahrukh, a wholesale dealer at Karachi’s Liaquatabad Market, told Arab News. 

“As a consequence of current price and sales trends, some of the dealers have started looking for alternative options to survive.”




Different variety of bangles are displayed at a wholesale market in Karachi, Pakistan, on April 16, 2023 ahead of Eid Al-Fitr. (AN photo)

Bangles manufacturing is a traditional handicraft in Pakistan, particularly in the province of Sindh, with Hyderabad city as a manufacturing hub where skilled artisans mold and cut glass and other materials and then decorate the bangles with paint, beads and other ornamental items. The finished products are mostly sold locally and also exported to neighboring Afghanistan.

But this year, Pakistani manufacturers said the average cost of production had surged by more than 65 percent compared to 2022 due to an increase in the prices of imported raw material amid a massive depreciation of the Pakistani rupee against the US dollar.

“The prices of basic raw materials have surged by about 65 percent when we compare them with last year,” Hassan Jamal Siddiqui, a spokesperson for the Glass Bangles Manufacturers Association (GBMA), told Arab News from Hyderabad. “That was when the rupee exchange rate was around Rs180 to a dollar.”

Siddiqui added that the price of sodium carbonate was Rs4,200 last year, which had now surged to Rs11,750 per bag. Similarly, prices of all other raw materials, including gas, borax decahydrate, potassium dichromate and coloring chemicals, had increased manifold since last year.

“The main raw materials used in bangles are imported from Japan, China, Canada, Germany and Russia,” Siddiqui said. “Obviously, the dollar has appreciated against the Pakistani rupee, and the prices of raw materials have also increased more than double.”

Glass bangle manufacturers also encountered problems with procuring raw materials as the government, faced with an acute balance of payments crisis, last year imposed restrictions on imports to prevent the outflow of US dollars. Consequently, commercial banks stopped issuing letters of credit (LCs), leaving importers struggling to arrange the greenback for already placed orders.

“The issue with the opening of letters of credit gave way to black marketing of raw materials that contributed to the price hike,” Siddiqui said, adding that current production had declined by about 30 percent, while many factories had permanently shut down operations.

“There were around 70 bangles manufacturing factories in Hyderabad, but as of today, the number has dropped to only 35,” Siddiqui said.

The bangles manufacturing industry, which once provided job opportunities to over 700,000 people, he said, now only had about 100,000 jobs:

“The bangles industry in Hyderabad is gradually receding into the past,” Siddique added. 

Sales too were down, bangle dealer Muhammad Arif said, as people were “prioritizing the purchase of essential goods required for their survival over buying of bangles.”

Consumers also said inflation had hit their buying choices this Eid.

“I have four daughters, and they were demanding new bangles for this Eid celebration, but I have convinced the elders to use the previously bought bangles and now would buy a new set for the younger one,” Samina Khalid, a homemaker, said. 

“That is how we manage our household affairs under current circumstances with fixed incomes and skyrocketing prices.”


Pakistan accuses India of altering Chenab River flow as tensions rise

Updated 7 sec ago
Follow

Pakistan accuses India of altering Chenab River flow as tensions rise

  • Punjab irrigation minister says Pakistan has ‘witnessed changes in the river which are not natural’
  • India recently lowered the sluice gates of the Baglihar dam to restrict water as a ‘punitive action’

LAHORE: Pakistan on Tuesday accused India of altering the flow of the Chenab River, one of three rivers placed under Pakistan’s control according to the now suspended Indus Waters Treaty.
This major river originates in India but was allocated to Pakistan under the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty, signed by the two nuclear powers.
India suspended the treaty following a deadly attack in Indian-administered Kashmir on April 22 that killed 26 people.
Islamabad warned that tampering with its rivers would be considered “an act of war.”
“We have witnessed changes in the river (Chenab) which are not natural at all,” Kazim Pirzada, irrigation minister for Punjab province, told AFP.
Punjab, bordering India and home to nearly half of Pakistan’s 240 million citizens, is the country’s agricultural heartland, and “the majority impact will be felt in areas which have fewer alternate water routes,” Pirzada warned.
“One day the river had normal inflow and the next day it was greatly reduced,” Pirzada added.
In Azad Kashmir, large quantities of water from India were reportedly released on April 26, according to the Jinnah Institute, a think tank led by a former Pakistani climate change minister.
“This is being done so that we don’t get to utilize the water,” Pirzada added.
The gates of the sluice spillways on the Baglihar dam in Indian-administered Kashmir which lies upstream of Pakistani Punjab “have been lowered to restrict water flow ... as a short-term punitive action,” a senior Indian official has told The Indian Express.
The Indus Waters Treaty permits India to use shared rivers for dams or irrigation but prohibits diverting watercourses or altering downstream volumes.
Indian authorities have not commented yet but Kushvinder Vohra, former head of India’s Central Water Commission, told The Times of India: “Since the treaty is on pause ... we may do flushing on any project without any obligation.”
Experts said the water cannot be stopped in the longer term, and that India can only regulate timings of when it releases flows.
However, the Jinnah Institute warned: “Even small changes in the timing of water releases can disrupt sowing calendars (and) reduce crop yields.”


Fear and uncertainty grip Azad Kashmir’s tourism sector as India-Pakistan tensions soar

Updated 44 min 26 sec ago
Follow

Fear and uncertainty grip Azad Kashmir’s tourism sector as India-Pakistan tensions soar

  • Guesthouses in Azad Kashmir experiencing “zero occupancy” due to safety concerns and restrictions, says hotel association
  • Tensions between Delhi, Islamabad have surged since last month when militant attack killed 26 in Indian-administered Kashmir

PIR CHANASI, Muzaffarabad: Tensions between India and Pakistan have impacted tourism in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, with local business owners reporting a sharp decline in visitor arrivals on Sunday (May 4) due to safety concerns and restrictions on movement enforced by Pakistani authorities.
The latest crisis between the nuclear-armed neighbors was sparked by a deadly attack on tourists in the disputed Kashmir region last week that saw suspected militants kill at least 26 people. India has accused Pakistan of involvement in the attack, which Islamabad denies. Pakistan has said it has “credible intelligence” that India intends to launch military action.
The Pir Chinasi area in Muzaffarabad district, a popular hilltop tourist destination not far from the border with India-administered Kashmir, has seen a dramatic drop in footfall, leaving hotels empty and businesses struggling.
“Due to tensions between India and Pakistan, the roads have been closed here since the border is nearby,” Mohammad Saghir, a local restaurant owner, said. “Because of this, only a few tourists are coming here.”
However, Syed Yasir Ali, a tourist from Islamabad, said he believes the area is still “a safe place” and “very peaceful.”
Despite Ali’s positive reassurances, Abrar Ahmed Butt, a spokesperson for the All Kashmir Hotel Association, local hotels and guesthouses have experienced “zero occupancy” over the past eight days due to road closures and restrictions on movement being enforced by local authorities. With no end in sight for the current hostilities, Butt said he is “hoping for the best”, but very supportive of Pakistani authorities, even if it means preventing tourists from traveling to the Muzaffarabad area.
“National security is our top priority. As patriots, we love our country. When our country is secure, business and other aspects will follow suit. With faith, we trust things will improve,” said Butt.


Flight club: Pinching pigeons on the India-Pakistan border

Updated 06 May 2025
Follow

Flight club: Pinching pigeons on the India-Pakistan border

  • Pigeon fanciers on both sides of de facto border try to lure birds from each other
  • Indian bird keepers say Pakistani pigeons are “bred better and fly longer durations”

JAMMU: In the skies above the bunkers where Indian and Pakistani soldiers trade gunfire, masters of an ancient sport beloved on both sides seek to snatch prized pigeons from the other.

Indian breeder Pyara Singh spends his days trying to lure Pakistani birds from across the Himalayan valley, and guard against rivals wooing his flock.

“We get pigeons from Pakistan — we catch them,” said 33-year-old Singh, watching as some of his feathered favorites twisted like jets overhead. “We also often lose our pigeons to them.”

An attack in Indian-administered Kashmir last month that New Delhi blames on Islamabad has sparked fears of renewed conflict between the nuclear-armed arch-rivals.

Pakistan insists it was not involved in the April 22 killings of 26 mainly Hindu men but Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has vowed to respond.

Like every night since April 26, India’s army said Monday that its troops had exchanged gunfire with Pakistani soldiers overnight across the de facto frontier in contested Kashmir.

Pigeon fanciers across the divide can’t meet face-to-face but share the same passion. Breeders say the top birds can be worth hundreds of dollars.

The skill of “kabutar-baazi” pigeon flying stretches back centuries, straddling a border created at the violent end of British imperial rule in 1947.

Singh, sitting with his 100-strong flock on the roof of his home in the village of Pangali, said it was “it is an old art.”

Keepers guide the flight of their flocks with whistles to provide a swirling spectacle.

Others race them, timing their flight home, or simply find peace in their graceful colorations and gentle coos.

But Indian keepers like Singh say their Pakistani counterparts rear “better and stronger” birds, explaining the buzz in catching their pigeons.

“They are a treasured possession,” said Aarav KHajjuria, from Sainth, another frontline Indian village.

He proudly showed his flock of 29 birds — three of which are from Pakistan.

“Our pigeons also fly there,” he said. “Two of my pigeons went.”

The teenager started breeding pigeons four years ago after watching another local fancier catch a bird.

“I was fascinated,” KHajjuria added. “I now spend time on the roof, both immediately before and after I return from school.”

But he is most proud of his Pakistani captives.

“I lured them after they’d strayed across,” he said, pointing to a nearby row of trees that mark the border.

Pakistani pigeons “are better because they’re bred better and fly longer durations in a competition,” KHajjuria said.

Keepers say capturing a pigeon is a skill, using water, grain and their own flock to lure the stray bird into the fold.

Once the bird lands, they immediately clip some feathers to stop them flying. While they grow back, the bird builds a bond with the new flock.

Fanciers fix leg rings with contact details to the animals.

“If we catch a bird that belongs to someone from the nearby villages, and we know them, we call them and hand it back,” Singh said, hand on his heart.

Birds from Pakistan are a different matter.

“Given the overall situation, and the risks involved, no one calls if the bird is from the other side,” he said.

“We don’t want any issues in the future, and allegations that as an Indian we were contacting Pakistanis.”

In fact, fanciers say that police are wary Pakistani pigeons might be carrying messages.

Indian police have in recent years “detained” several suspected of being enemy carrier pigeons, with some jailbirds accused of having Pakistani links, others Chinese.

“The Pakistani side often marks their pigeons with ink stamps, names, or rings — but beyond that, we haven’t seen anything suspicious yet,” Singh said.

“We inform the army if we come across such a pigeon, but so far, we haven’t caught any with a camera,” he joked.

Singh says he worries that the nightly gunfire will escalate.

“Ideally there shouldn’t be a war,” he said, but said the April 22 attack was “so wrong that it can’t be left unanswered.”

But he is confident nothing will stop his pigeons flying free.

“The border is not for the bird,” he said.

“No army or fence could stop them. How could you? Our pigeons go there, and theirs often cross into India.”


Pakistan calls for data-driven disaster management as extreme weather risks grow

Updated 06 May 2025
Follow

Pakistan calls for data-driven disaster management as extreme weather risks grow

  • Dr. Musadiq Malik inaugurates Pakistan Expo on Disaster Risk Reduction organized by the NDMA
  • He highlights the country’s efforts to strengthen disaster resilience through early warning systems

ISLAMABAD: A senior Pakistani minister on Tuesday called for a data-driven and community-inclusive approach to disaster management, as the country faces increasing threats from extreme weather events.
Pakistan has endured repeated climate-related disasters in recent years, including heatwaves, droughts and catastrophic flooding, such as the deadly 2022 deluge that displaced millions and caused billions of dollars in damage.
Federal Minister for Climate Change and Environmental Coordination Dr. Musadiq Malik said disaster management in complex environments required culturally sensitive solutions informed by evidence and broad inter-agency coordination.
“Pakistan’s vision for resilience by 2030 hinges on innovation, inter-agency coordination, and evidence-based decision-making,” he said while addressing the inauguration of the 2nd Pakistan Expo on Disaster Risk Reduction (PEDRR-25), organized by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).
The event brought together diplomats, United Nations representatives, humanitarian partners and private sector leaders.
Malik highlighted Pakistan’s efforts to strengthen disaster resilience through early warning systems, localized response mechanisms and international cooperation.
He also pointed to the National Emergencies Operation Center (NEOC) that was set up to improve national response coordination and share technical expertise with regional partners.
“Pakistan has transformed challenges into opportunities by developing indigenous capacities like NEOC and sharing technical expertise with regional partners, creating goodwill and diplomatic leverage,” he added.
The minister praised the combined efforts of civil and military responders, civil society organizations and development partners in tackling past disasters and urged international donors to increase support for Pakistan’s adaptation and mitigation strategies, including better access to climate finance and carbon markets.


Pakistan finance chief heads to UK to court investors, meet British officials

Updated 06 May 2025
Follow

Pakistan finance chief heads to UK to court investors, meet British officials

  • Aurangzeb aims to highlight Pakistan’s improving economic outlook in meetings with investors
  • He will also discuss trade, investment and bilateral economic ties with senior British officials

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb left for London on Tuesday to meet British officials, financial institutions and business groups, as the South Asian nation seeks to attract foreign investment by highlighting its improving economic outlook.
Pakistan is striving to draw overseas investment amid a gradually healing macroeconomic environment after a prolonged downturn that forced Islamabad to seek external financing from friendly nations and multiple loan programs with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
The government has also pursued aggressive economic diplomacy in recent years, signing several agreements and memoranda of understanding with countries in Central Asia and the Middle East.
Aurangzeb’s visit to the United Kingdom is part of Islamabad’s wider strategy to expand those efforts and engage potential investors from other regions.
“The federal minister for finance, Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb, has departed for London to meet British officials, investors, financial institutions, investment banks, business firms and organizations,” the finance ministry said in a statement.
During the three-day visit, Aurangzeb will attend multiple investment forums and seminars where he will outline Pakistan’s economic trajectory.
He is also scheduled to participate in a roundtable titled “Pakistan Access Days” hosted by Jefferies, a prominent US-based investment bank, and another session with UK tech investors focusing on government-friendly policies in artificial intelligence, mining, health care and other sectors.
Aurangzeb will be joined at the roundtables by Muhammad Ali, the prime minister’s adviser on investment.
In addition to meetings with private sector leaders, Aurangzeb will visit the UK Treasury Department for talks with Financial Secretary Lord Livermore and senior officials.
He will also meet Hamish Nickells-Falconer, the UK’s Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Middle East, Afghanistan and Pakistan at the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO).
The finance minister will also hold meetings with the chief executives of Deutsche Bank and Standard Chartered, and meet with Simon Baugh, CEO of the UK’s Government Communication Service.
During the trip, he is expected to hold a series of question-and-answer sessions with selected representatives from international and British media outlets.