Pakistan's economic crisis: Videos of Pakistanis fighting over food go viral

(Update: An earlier version of this story had some factual inaccuracies. We have corrected them)DISCLAIMER: This is a compilation of tweets being shared by netizens around the world. Times of India neither condones nor endorses any of the views shared in this article here.

Cash-strapped Pakistan is desperately seeking help. Successive governments have failed to shore up multilateral or bilateral aid to meet foreign payments.

With extremely high inflation, dangerously low foreign exchange reserves, and global lenders like the International Monetary Fund (IMF) refusing to disperse further funds, Pakistan’s economy is in dire straits.

Pakistan's inflation rate reached 24.5% in December due to a massive spike in prices of food products.


Wheat – an essential staple food of an overwhelming majority of Pakistanis – is now getting out of reach for many Pakistanis. Its prices increased over 57% while the wheat flour prices also increased by 41%, according to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics.

The prices of onions increased by 415% in cities and 464% in villages compared to a year ago followed by a 64% increase in rates of tea. Even prices of food grains, including atta, have gone up.

Pakistan's central bank forex reserves have plunged to an eight-year low of $5.6 billion, posing a serious challenge for the country in financing imports.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has made calls to the Chinese premier Li Keqiang, seeking Beijing's help to avert a looming default while army chief General Asim Munir met the Saudi defence minister in Riyadh.

In short, Pakistan sits on the verge of economic collapse.

Now videos from the neighboring state have emerged that show people literally struggling and fighting on streets for basic food items.


Posted by activist Jyot Jeet on Twitter, the videos show men fighting over a sack of wheat that fell from a truck.



Another video shows a man begging to be killed after he doesn’t get flour.


Sad truth


The joke is on Global Hunger Index


Memes and funny videos on these viral videos and Pakistan’s economic situation have also surfaced.




The truth that matters


In a nutshell