Pakistan’s Muted Ramadan Celebrations Due To Economic Crisis
Uzair Younus, the director of the Pakistan Initiative at the Atlantic Council, blamed some of the country’s current turmoil on the ruling elite. He said it “should be viewed as the most serious threat to the country’s cohesion since 1971.” Credit: Saiyna Bashir for The New York Times
Recent spikes of inflation and damaged crops have resulted in soaring food prices in Pakistan during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, making it increasingly challenging for individuals to afford basic commodities and sustenance. Although the month of Ramadan is seen as a time for celebrating, praying, and fasting, this month has been tainted for many as they are forced to wait outside shelters in order to gain access to food.
Everyday, thousands of people rush to distribution points, yet many return empty handed because there are not enough bags of flour for everyone’s demands to be met. In Peshawar and other major cities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, police have used tear gas regularly and charge the crowds with batons to disperse them. Not only are Ramadan celebrations muted as a result of food shortages, but also because of excessive violence.
In fact, on March 31, a stampede occurred in Karachi which killed at least nine women. People were waiting outside a food distribution center but began to panic and push each other as their desperation to receive food was so immense. During Ramadan, the wealthy donate food and money to the lower classes through zakat, by distributing ration packets. However, this year’s skyrocketing prices have limited the amount of resources that charities have left to distribute.
Families are struggling to buy the dates, meat, and rice needed to break their daily fast. With Eid coming up next week, families are continuously struggling to gather resources in order to put together a meal that they can enjoy on this holy day.
As Ramadan began last month, the inflation rate in Pakistan was the highest it has been in nearly five decades, a record 35.4%. One of the largest contributing factors to such inflation is the fact that Pakistan is facing a shortage of crops, since many got destroyed during the severe floods that devastated much of the country’s agricultural belt. The floods ruined many wheat harvests and damaged farmland; these are obstacles that will take Pakistan years to overcome.
Additionally, the Russian invasion of Ukraine has strained Pakistan’s food supplies, since Ukraine exports a large amount of essential grains. Many Pakistanis are deeply angered that prices have risen to this extent, especially since they are now hindering many families from celebrating Ramadan and Eid.
People breaking fast with the help of volunteers. Credit: Saiyna Bashir for The New York Times.
The Pakistani government has been unable to secure a bailout from the International Monetary Fund, and this has simply exacerbated the issue at hand as prices continue soaring to record high numbers. In fact, many critics argue that the country’s political elite are focusing on trivial matters such as Imran Khan’s comebacks rather than focusing on the economic crisis that the nation is facing.
The director of the Pakistani Initiative at the Atlantic Council, Uzair Younus, shares that the economic crisis affecting Pakistan should be viewed as the most serious threat to the country’s cohesion since 1971. Since the beginning of Ramadan, at least 22 people have been killed and dozens injured in long queues and stampedes as a result of the adversities people have been enduring in order to receive adequate amounts of food to feed their families from charities and the government.
Many food stalls offer free sunset and pre-dawn meals in the city, as per Ramadan tradition, yet many locals are worried about the situation that will precede them once Eid passes by and Ramadan is over. Many of the free meals that provide them with sustenance during this month, will no longer be available, and will exacerbate the food insecurity that many are experiencing.