Pakistan: Imran Khan orders cut down in naan, roti prices

As Pakistan has initiated steps to implement tough economic reforms, the prices of petrol, gas and other essential food items have increased, hitting the common man.

Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan (Photo by Nicholas Kamm / AFP)

New Delhi: Taking a major step to bring down the escalating prices of common food items, the cash-strapped government of Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has decided to roll back the prices of naan and roti across the country, media reports said. As per a report in the Dawn newspaper,  currently, naan is selling at Rs 12 to Rs 15 in different cities of Pakistan. However, before an increase in the gas tariff and rates of wheat flour, naan price ranged between Rs 8 and Rs 10. Similarly, roti is available at Rs 10 to Rs 12 while its previous rate was Rs 7 to Rs 8. "Prime Minister Imran Khan has taken a stern notice of increasing prices of naan and roti and decided to take immediate steps to revert them to their original rates," said Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Information, Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan. She said the prime minister also called a meeting of the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet on Wednesday. The meeting is aimed at reducing the gas tariff, especially for Tandoorwalas, and cutting the price of Atta (wheat flour) and duties on it. After the PM's intervention during a meeting of the federal cabinet on Tuesday, it was decided to bring down the prices of naan and roti to their previous rates throughout the country, reported Dawn. Pakistan is facing a serious economic crisis with short supplies of foreign currency reserves and stagnating growth. The International Monetary Fund this month approved a USD 6 billion loan over a period of three years for Pakistan to allow the country to return to sustainable growth and improve the living standards of the people. As Pakistan has initiated steps to implement tough economic reforms, the prices of petrol, gas and other essential food items have increased, hitting the common man. The IMF forecasts Pakistan's economic growth will slow to 2.9 per cent this fiscal year from 5.2 per cent in 2018. In February, the State Bank of Pakistan, the country's central bank had only USD 8 billion bn left in foreign reserves. (With inputs from PTI)