ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal directed all relevant departments to identify high-demand items ahead of Ramadan and prepare a comprehensive plan to ensure price stability.
The Minister expressed these views while chairing a meeting of the National Price Monitoring Committee on Monday.
He urged provincial governments and district administrations to take practical steps to enhance market monitoring and ensure compliance with price regulations.
The minister said that inflation had declined over the past year, falling from 7.2 percent in October 2024 to 6.2 percent in October 2025, and emphasised the need to continue this downward trajectory through proactive market management.
Ahsan Iqbal instructed officials to present a supply plan for essential commodities at the committee’s next meeting. He also called for the establishment of a cold-chain system for agricultural produce to help balance supply and demand and reduce post-harvest losses.
Stressing the importance of evidence-based decision-making, the planning minister directed ministries and departments to prepare database-driven analytical reports, adding that all policy decisions must be grounded in data.
Ahsan Iqbal said that a coordinated strategy among federal and provincial bodies would help maintain price stability and protect consumers from unjustified price hikes.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
