One person was killed and eight others injured during a stampede for freeflour in inflation-wracked Pakistan on Thursday, the first day of the holymonth of Ramadan.
The price of basic food items has rocketed in recent months, with inflationat a near 50 year-high as the country grapples with a balance of paymentscrisis that has seen it forced back into negotiations with theInternational Monetary Fund.
“Nine people were trampled and were taken to hospital where one persondied,” said Muhammad Arif, police chief for Charsadda in northwesternKhyber Pakhtunkhwa province where the incident happened.
Arif said hundreds of people gathered at the local market for the handouts,one of hundreds of distribution points set up by the government duringRamadan.
Millions of low income families across the country are registered under thescheme.
In a nearby district, a man died and four others were injured when a wallthey were sitting on collapsed as crowds amassed for free flour.
Authorities told AFP it was not clear why the wall collapsed.
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Pakistan’s finances have been wrecked by years of financial mismanagementand political instability — a situation exacerbated by a global energycrisis and devastating floods that left a third of the country under waterlast year.
The South Asian nation is deeply in debt, and needs to introduce tough taxand utility price increases to unlock another tranche of a $6.5 billion IMFbail-out and avoid defaulting.
Peshawar, PakistanPAKISTANECONOMYRAMADANOne person was killed and eightothers injured during a stampede for free flour in inflation-wrackedPakistan on Thursday, the first day of the holy month of Ramadan.
The price of basic food items has rocketed in recent months, with inflationat a near 50 year-high as the country grapples with a balance of paymentscrisis that has seen it forced back into negotiations with theInternational Monetary Fund.
“Nine people were trampled and were taken to hospital where one persondied,” said Muhammad Arif, police chief for Charsadda in northwesternKhyber Pakhtunkhwa province where the incident happened. -APP/AFP
