Lahore: The vegetable markets in Lahore, the capital of Punjab province, are openly violating the official price lists set by the government, forcing ordinary citizens to bear a severe financial burden due to high inflation. Vegetables are consistently being sold at prices significantly higher than the government-mandated rates.
Reports indicate that several essential vegetables have seen abnormal price increases:
| Vegetable | Official Rate (Rupees/Kg) | Selling Price (Rupees/Kg) |
| Onion | 155 | 160 to 180 |
| Tomato | 100 | 120 to 130 |
| Potato | 60 | 80 to 100 |
| Ginger | 525 | 550 to 600 |
| Garlic | 410 | 450 |
| Green Chili | 95 | 120 |
| Peas | 300 | 350 |
Citizens have complained that due to the lack of administrative oversight, vendors in every market are setting their own arbitrary and differing rates, which severely impacts their purchasing power.
Conversely, the vendors maintain that they are also compelled to buy these vegetables at high prices from the wholesale market, leaving them with no choice but to sell them at increased rates. This situation highlights the failure of the government’s price control mechanism and exposes existing flaws in the supply chain, with the direct impact falling on the average consumer.
