Govt urged to publish data on wheat stock

Business Recorder reported that Mian Zahid Hussain called on the government to put wheat-stock and market-delivery figures online, strengthen action against hoarding, and monitor flour prices and supplies in each district. He also urged authorities to move supplies quickly to areas facing shortages, saying lasting price relief requires better food distribution and lower energy costs.

Annual inflation eased to 9.6 percent in October 2026 from 10.3 percent in September, but consumer prices still climbed 1.1 percent over the month. Food and beverage costs rose 2.26 percent, with wheat flour up 9.41 percent in rural areas and 7.54 percent in urban areas; annual inflation averaged 10.05 percent in the first four months of the fiscal year, versus 4.79 percent a year earlier. Hussain also noted that the State Bank's 50-basis-point policy-rate increase raised borrowing costs for businesses, while wholesale inflation reached 13.8 percent year on year.