Lahore’s markets are once again defying the official price list, with chicken and essential vegetables selling far above the government’s revised rates despite sharp cuts announced this week. The widening gap between notified and retail prices has left consumers frustrated as shopkeepers continue charging whatever they choose.
The situation reflects a long standing issue in Punjab: weekly price notifications rarely translate into real relief. Even after the government reduced poultry and vegetable rates, ground inspections show no improvement in enforcement, echoing similar failures during previous inflation spikes when authorities struggled to regulate open markets.
In several city shops, live chicken officially set at Rs309–323 per kg after a Rs60 reduction was not available at the approved rate, while chicken meat continued selling between Rs520 and Rs580 per kg. Boneless remained as high as Rs800–950 per kg, far beyond the notified price.
Vegetables showed even steeper differences. Potatoes fixed at Rs80–85 per kg were sold for Rs140, onions notified at Rs105–113 went as high as Rs150, and tomatoes set at Rs130–140 reached Rs220 per kg. Garlic and ginger varieties also crossed official prices by margins of Rs100–200 per kg, with Chinese garlic touching Rs600.
A shopper at Township Market told local reporters,
“Every week the government issues new prices, but in the market nothing changes. It’s becoming impossible for families to manage daily groceries.”
From bitter gourd and zucchini to carrots, capsicum, lemon and spinach, nearly all vegetables sold at rates significantly higher than Punjab’s official list. The newly created Punjab Enforcement and Regulatory Authority (PERA), expected to tighten price monitoring, has yet to make any visible impact in controlling overcharging across Lahore.