KARACHI (October 02, 2026): President of the Pakistan Businessmen and Intellectuals Forum (PBIF) and All Karachi Industrial Alliance, Chairman of the National Business Group Pakistan, Chairman of the FPCCI Policy Advisory Board, and former Provincial IT Minister, Mian Zahid Hussain, has expressed concern over the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics’ (PBS) Monthly Review on Price Indices for September 2026. He said Consumer Price Index inflation of 10.3% compared with September 2025 remained worrying for the public and the productive sectors of the economy. While welcoming the moderation from 11.1% in August 2026, he noted that prices rose another 1.3% month-on-month in September, showing that inflationary pressure on common citizens and the business community persisted. Mian Zahid Hussain identified the US-Iran war as the principal cause of inflationary pressure in Pakistan, saying that sharp fluctuations in international petroleum prices were impacting economies worldwide. He added that losses incurred by failing state-owned enterprises, electricity and gas utilities are intensifying the inflationary impact in Pakistan.
Mian Zahid Hussain said the Monthly Review on Price Indices recorded year-on-year increases of 32.46% in electricity charges, 37.73% in motor fuel, 40.96% in wheat and 31.71% in wheat flour during September 2026. These are essential expenses that neither common households nor affluent consumers can avoid. Higher electricity and fuel prices have increased industrial production costs, raw-material transportation expenses, distribution costs for finished goods and the cost of transporting agricultural produce to markets. Consequently, households with limited income have been forced to compromise on other unavoidable needs.
Mian Zahid Hussain said annual Wholesale Price Index inflation of 13.3% was another warning for the industry. Rising wholesale prices increase the working capital required to sustain business operations, while weak consumer purchasing power prevents manufacturers from passing their additional costs to consumers. This is placing particular pressure on the profitability and business continuity of small and medium-sized industries. If inflationary pressure persists, investment in new machinery, production expansion and job creation will also suffer. He welcomed the Prime Minister’s petrol subsidy for low-income citizens as an important relief measure and called for further efforts to make other essential goods available at more affordable prices.
Mian Zahid Hussain urged the government to accelerate energy-sector reforms to bring energy costs on par with costs in other countries in the region. He said electricity theft, line losses, poor recoveries, capacity charges and administrative inefficiency required immediate and lasting solutions instead of transferring their burden to industries and consumers. Reliable electricity and gas at competitive rates are essential for export-oriented industries to remain competitive in international markets. He added that repeated increases in electricity tariffs and additional charges were creating uncertainty for business planning. Industry needs a clear and predictable tariff framework to make long-term decisions on production costs, export orders and future investment.
Mian Zahid Hussain said effective coordination between the federal and provincial governments was essential to control food inflation. Decisions should be based on reliable digital data on stocks, market arrivals, movements and demand for wheat, flour and other essential commodities. He proposed creation of a digital dashboard to support informed decisions and timely action against artificial shortages, hoarding and undue profiteering. Better commodity storage, cold storage for perishable goods, efficient transportation and improved market systems could reduce food wastage and excessive intermediary gains, benefiting both farmers and consumers.
Mian Zahid Hussain said that, after achieving macro-economic stability also acknowledged by international institutions, government efforts must now reflect in micro-level stability at the households and businesses. Lasting results will depend on stronger industrial activity, rising exports and higher real incomes. Targeted relief should reach low-income households, while resources should be redirected towards productive sectors by reducing the burden of capacity charges, line losses and unnecessary public expenditure on failing state-owned enterprises. He stressed that an effective anti-inflation strategy must prioritise fiscal discipline, energy reforms, stronger supply chains and lower business costs so that the benefits of macro-economic stability are transformed into micro stability and benefit the common citizens and the business community.
