Pakistan: Boycott to protest against high fruit prices

By Aamir Latif

KARACHI, Pakistan

A social media campaign calling for a three-day boycott of buying fruit to protest against soaring prices in Ramadan has gathered a huge response from frustrated consumers across Pakistan.

The chain-text campaign launched only a few days ago has picked up with people advising each other to boycott the fruit vendors from June 2 to June 4 in an effort to force the sellers to sell fruits on reasonable prices.

"If we boycott the fruit-buying for three days only, the stored fruits will start getting rot in the godowns forcing the sellers to sell it on way cheaper prices. This may sound tough, but only you, as consumers, can force the seller to revise fruit prices," read the message.

"If you think your boycott won’t work, then you are wrong. You being consumer must recognize your strength," the message shared by hundreds of thousands on Facebook, Whatsapp and other digital platforms in last couple days, said.

"Enough is enough. We leave everything on the government and never fulfill our responsibility. I, my family, my friends, we all are ready to boycott the fruit vendors for next three days," Mohammad Abrar, a Karachi-based activist told Anadolu Agency.

"Fruits are being sold double or triple the normal prices during the holy month of Ramadan. The government, including the so-called price control authorities have completely failed to control the price-hike leaving us with no other option but to opt for a boycott," Abrar said.

Faisal Hussein, another resident of Karachi said “This is shameful that across the world, including non-Muslim countries, prices of essential commodities go down during Ramadan but Pakistan is only place on the planet where prices go 100 to 300 percent higher during this holy month."

"I fully support this move. This is the only way to break the nexus of suppliers and sellers," he opined.

Mohammad Waris, a resident of northeastern Faisalabad city said “I have heard about this move on television. Initially, I did not take it seriously but the overwhelming response in and around my neighborhood has propelled me to join the boycott. Yes, I am going to do that."

Not only the social media, but the country’s electronic and print media, so much so the government officials have also supported the boycott campaign.

"I am with the citizens and believe in the cause," Nasir Hussain Shah, the minister for transport of southern Sindh province was quoted as saying by local English daily Dawn.

He said he would take the move a step forward and not eat fruit for next four days.

Retailers, however, cite increasing demand for the commodity and shifting of wholesale fruit markets away from the cities responsible for soaring prices during the Ramadan.

“It’s not our fault. It’s a matter of supply and demand. Every Pakistani wants fruits on the table at iftar (breaking the fast)," Ghulam Hussein, a fruit vendor in Karachi’s Saddar town said.

"We have to travel up to 40 kilometers to procure fruit from the wholesale market, which in past was located in the middle of the city. Rising demand (during Ramadan), and transport fares force us to sell the commodity on relatively higher rates," he maintained.

In a surprise move, Shahjehan Shaikh, President wholesale fruit and vegetable market Karachi also supports the boycott move saying it is consumers’ right to buy a commodity at actual price.

"Shifting of wholesale markets (from cities) has denied consumers’ direct access to the markets and established retailers’ monopoly," Shaikh observed.

"Consumers can not travel 40 kilometers to buy a few kilograms of mangos or dozen of bananas. Now, they are dependent on retailers who buy a commodity at wholesale rate from the market but sell it at runaway prices to the consumers," he said.

To make things worse, he opined, there was not check and balance on prices from the government.