{
  "id": 291757,
  "title": "Rise in edible oil, flour prices fuels weekly inflation",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/08/rise-in-edible-oil-flour-prices-fuels-weekly-inflation",
  "topic": "finance",
  "section": "Finance & Markets",
  "published": "2026-08-08T02:30:26.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Dawn Business",
    "slug": "dawn-business",
    "url": "https://www.dawn.com/news/2021371/rise-in-edible-oil-flour-prices-fuels-weekly-inflation"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Islamabad - The Sensitive Price Index (SPI) increased by 9.29 percent on a year-over-year basis for the week of August 4, primarily due to surging prices of edible oil and wheat flour, according to official figures released on Friday. Rising crude oil prices over the past week, coupled with the escalation in transportation costs, have contributed to the growing inflation. On a week-over-week basis, the index climbed by 0.28 percent, as reported by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics. In parallel, the National Price Monitoring Committee, chaired by Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, analyzed inflation patterns and noticed a slowdown in monthly inflation. The minister subsequently directed a nationwide survey of loose edible oil, ghee, and milk following a surge in cases of cardiovascular diseases and other non-communicable illnesses, especially among younger Pakistanis.",
  "summary": "Short-term inflation in Pakistan rose by 9.29% year-on-year for the week ending Aug 4, primarily due to increasing prices of edible oil and wheat flour, according to official data. This rise in short-term inflation has been attributed to the sustained increase in daily petroleum prices, which has led to higher transportation costs and subsequently impacted the prices of essential food items. Additionally, the National Price Monitoring Committee, chaired by Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, reviewed inflation trends and reported a deceleration in monthly inflation. In response to the rising incidences of cardiovascular diseases and other non-communicable illnesses, particularly among younger Pakistanis, the minister has directed a nationwide survey of loose edible oil, ghee, and milk. The Ministry of Science and Technology presented a quality assessment report, revealing that 36% of packaged food samples failed to meet the prescribed national quality standards.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}