Pakistan, March 3 -- Ramazan, the holy month of fasting, ironically brings a surge in inflation in our region, disrupting the delicate balance of demand and supply. Every year, prices shoot up and the poor suffer the most. The Punjab government used to set up Ramazan bazaars to control prices, but this time, it has scrapped them.

Instead, the government has introduced 'Sahulat Stalls' in Model Bazaars. These stalls sell 17 essential items at lower rates. But the problem is that Model Bazaars are too few. In Lahore, a city of 13 million people, only 10 such bazaars exist. Many towns and districts have no Model Bazaars at all.

The government says that Ramazan Bazaars were full of corruption and fund misuse. Each bazaar used to get a Rs15 ...