Dawn newspaper highlighted how the hike instantly inflated transport fares in urban centers. Bus and rickshaw operators in Karachi wasted no time in raising rates, while Peshawar’s inter-city travel became prohibitively expensive. Middle-class families, planning modest Eid purchases, now face slashed shopping lists.

Daily wage workers and motorcycle-dependent commuters are hit hardest. Their volatile incomes can’t absorb the extra costs for fuel needed to reach jobs. During Ramadan, when meal preparations demand more resources, households report heightened anxiety over rising grocery bills tied to logistics expenses.

Experts point to Pakistan’s import dependency as the core vulnerability. Global events transmit directly to local pumps, amplifying cost pressures economy-wide. Unlike past years, where governments offered targeted relief during the holy month, this timing has bred resentment.

Local traders confirm: fuel hikes trigger immediate price adjustments in markets. Sales of petroleum products have plummeted as people drive less. With Eid markets subdued, the nation braces for a subdued festival, underscoring the perils of unchecked economic dependencies and the call for sustainable reforms.