The prices of clothes, shoes and other items at lunda bazaars have doubled this year as compared to last year, reveals a survey carried out by Business Recorder here on Thursday. Lunda-Bazaar is a market where traders sell used items including warm clothes, shoes, hosiery and other items, targeting people of the low-income group.
Abdul Shakoor, a second-hand cloth merchant at Jamia Masjid Road Rawalpindi said that they were buying these used items from Karachi in bulk and before displaying them for sale they separated good quality and normal quality clothes. He said that mostly a bundle contains normal quality items, which they charge between Rs 50-100 and there were few better quality items, which might be sold at between Rs 300-500.
Rubnawaz Khan, a trader said that with increased rents and increased electricity tariff he was compelled to increase prices. Talking about the prices of different used items he said that last year a normal used jacket was available at Rs 200, a pair of used shoes at Rs 400, a pair of socks at Rs 10, a sweater at Rs 100 and a trouser at Rs 100, but this year these items were being sold at Rs 300, Rs 600, Rs 20, Rs 250 and Rs 250 respectively.
People while talking to this scribe said that the lunda bazaar was the only hope for them during the winter from where they could purchase warm clothes but like other things now they could not afford to buy warm clothes from lunda bazaar too due to high prices this year.
"I am surprised to find such high prices of used items at lunda bazaar," said Shamim Akhtar, a housewife. "Life has become very difficult for the poor people", she lamented. She further said that items like socks, sweaters, jackets and shoes were being sold at twice the price as compared to last year and poor people like her have no options but to buy these substandard items at higher prices. She said, "The govt seems indifferent to the problems of the poor people".
"Entire government machinery is only concerned about imposing RGST which would force people to starve," said Nazakat Ali, a schoolteacher. "The market was a ray of hope for people with low income. Now they cannot even buy warm clothes for their children from lunda bazaar either," he deplored.
Ishaq, who deals in second-hand shoes at Raja Bazaar, said he had no choice in the harsh winter season but to purchase items at high prices or face the hardship of winter. He said that he was doing this business for the last twenty years and never witnessed such a massive price hike in such a short period of time. He added that three years back he was selling a normal used jacket at Rs 100 but used clothes dealers in Karachi have been increasing prices of these items on a regular basis for the last three years and dealers like him were compelled to increase the prices for customers.