Karachi And Lahore Families Face Food Insecurity During Ramadan

As Ramadan begins, food insecurity has intensified for low-income families across Pakistan, particularly in urban areas like Karachi and Lahore. A poignant example is Rasool Bakhsh, a 65-year-old watchman earning Rs25,000 a month, who expressed his distress over being unable to afford groceries for the holy month. "There are no groceries at home," he lamented, highlighting the struggles faced by many in similar situations as inflation and stagnant wages erode purchasing power. Reports indicate that the minimum wage increase from Rs37,000 to Rs40,000 is insufficient in the face of soaring prices, with labor representative Mirza Maqsood stating, "The erosion of purchasing power is also severely hurting people's self-respect."