Pakistan sees highest weekly inflation of over 40 per cent for first time in five months

Islamabad: The weekly inflation in cash-strapped Pakistan rose to over 40 per cent for the first time in over five months with the consumer prices of onions, chicken, eggs, rice, cigarettes and fuel rising significantly. According to a report in the Dawn, despite the week-on-week inflation easing slightly, it still remained high as bananas, chicken, sugar, cooking oil, gas and cigarettes became costlier. Though week-on-week inflation eased slightly, it still remained high as bananas, chicken, sugar, cooking oil, gas and cigarettes became costlier, the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) reported. The report said that as a result, short-term inflation jumped to 41.54 percent on a year-on-year basis for the week ended on Feb 23, rising from 38.42 per cent in the previous week. The prices of onions, chicken, eggs, cigarettes, and fuel also saw record rise. The hike in the prices was the highest annual rise since the week ending September 8 last year. Out of 51 items studied, the prices of 33 items increased while the price of six items decreased. Prices of 12 items remained stable. The biggest change was registered in the price of the gas (108 percent), cigarettes (76.4 percent), bananas (6.6 percent), chicken (5.2 percent), sugar (3.37 percent), cooking oil (0.7 percent) and other items. Pakistan’s finances have been wrecked by years of financial mismanagement and political instability — a situation exacerbated by a global energy crisis and devastating floods that left a third of the country under water last year. Read all the  Latest News ,  Trending News ,  Cricket News ,  Bollywood News , India News  and  Entertainment News  here. Follow us on  Facebook,  Twitter and  Instagram.