Islamabad: Federal Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal has instructed provincial governments to implement immediate actions to manage inflation following a recent hike in fuel prices. This directive was issued during an online meeting of the National Price Monitoring Committee, where the impact of increased petroleum prices on transportation fares and essential commodities was evaluated.

According to Radio Pakistan, the Minister urged provincial authorities to ensure that transportation departments release revised fare notifications within 24 hours and enforce them strictly. He stressed that government subsidies should not be undermined by arbitrary fare increases imposed by transport operators.

The potential “second-round effect” on food prices due to higher logistics costs was also highlighted. To address this, Iqbal ordered weekly monitoring of essential commodities. Additionally, he directed market committees and district administrations to regulate wholesale and retail prices, emphasizing the need to monitor profit margins to curb hoarding and profiteering.

In a separate directive, the Minister called upon the Ministry of Interior and provincial authorities to take measures to prevent the smuggling of urea fertilizer, ensuring its availability for farmers. The National Price Monitoring Committee is now set to meet weekly to closely observe price trends.