Pre-Ramazan flour price hikes in Lahore :

LAHORE: Flour at the shops across this provincial capital city has disappeared even before the dawn of Ramazan-ul-Mubarak, while it is being sold in the black-market at higher prices, forcing the large number of people thronging Sunday Bazaars.

Never ending long queues were seen jostling since early morning at the Sunday Bazaars for buying a pack of flour at the government fixed price. Citizens complained non-availability of flour in the open market, while it is being black-marketed at an exorbitant price of Rs450 per 20 kg bag. Buying flour from Sunday Bazaars at government fixed price is simply tormenting as the purchaser has to line up for hours and sometime even for the whole day and yet returning empty handed as the stocks get often exhausted. The citizens have appealed ensuring enough flour supplies to the market and its selling at the official price at least prior to the Ramazan.