Traders in Pakistan have been selling fresh fruit and dried fruit coming from Afghanistan, Tajikistan and China at exorbitant prices on the pretext that the district price control committee is not authorised to issue rates on foreign items, dawn.com reported.
The fruit sellers are selling black Chinese grapes for Rs400 per kilogramme, plums from Tajikistan and Afghanistan at Rs200 per kg (local Rs80 per kg), Indian bananas at Rs250 per dozen (local between Rs40 and Rs100) and cherries for Rs250 per pack.
Saleh Mohammad, who runs a fruit shop in the main bazaar, said that people were ready to pay any price for non-seasonal fruit of good quality.
Answering a question, he said that the administration did not issue them rates for imported fruit. The local mango variety of Chonsa is being sold at Rs120 per kilogramme because of its increased use in packed juices.
Afghani almonds of differing qualities are available at prices ranging from Rs300 to Rs800 per kilogramme against wild almonds from tribal areas sold at Rs150 per kg. Afghani apricots are at Rs800 per kg, dry grapes from Afghanistan (mewa sunder khani) at Rs460 small and Rs700 large, and dried figs at Rs800 per kg. Chilghoza pine is being sold at Rs4,000 per kilogramme.
