Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, Prof. Ahsan Iqbal, chaired a meeting of the National Price Monitoring Committee (NPMC) to review the country's inflation outlook, food quality standards and price trends of essential commodities.
During the meeting, the Committee reviewed the findings of a laboratory assessment of packaged edible oil, ghee and milk products, undertaken on the directions of the Planning Minister to scientifically evaluate the quality of commonly consumed food items. The assessment report was presented by the Ministry of Science and Technology through the Pakistan Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (PCSIR), with the consolidated findings prepared by the Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA).
Taking serious notice of growing public concerns over the increasing incidents of cardiovascular diseases and other non-communicable illnesses, particularly among younger Pakistanis, Prof. Ahsan Iqbal directed all provincial governments, regional administrations and relevant regulatory authorities to also undertake a comprehensive nationwide survey of the quality of loose (unpackaged) edible oil, ghee and milk being sold across the country. He said the survey would scientifically assess the quality of these widely consumed food items, identify regional trends and determine whether substandard products are posing risks to public health.
Chairing the meeting, Prof. Ahsan Iqbal observed that food quality has become a matter of national importance and stressed that the Government has a responsibility to ensure that citizens have access to safe and healthy food. "The objective is not merely to identify deficiencies but to ensure that every citizen has access to safe, healthy and quality food that meets national standards," the Minister remarked, emphasizing public health remains at the centre of economic and regulatory policymaking.
The laboratory assessment, carried out on the directions of Planning Minister Prof Ahsan Iqbal, presented before the Committee revealed significant concerns regarding the quality of packaged food products available in the market. A total of 491 samples of packaged edible oil, ghee and milk products were collected and tested by PCSIR, with the consolidated findings submitted by PSQCA. Of these, 315 samples were found conforming to the prescribed national quality standards, while 176 samples failed to meet the required specifications, indicating a non-conformance rate of approximately 36 percent. The report showed that 98 out of 204 Banaspati Ghee samples, 40 out of 146 blended cooking oil samples, 26 out of 104 packaged liquid milk samples, 8 out of 18 milk powder samples, three out of four refined palm oil samples, and one out of thirteen refined canola oil samples failed to conform to the prescribed standards.
Officials informed the meeting that the report had been consolidated by PSQCA following laboratory analysis conducted by PCSIR and submitted for policy consideration.
To ensure a thorough scientific evaluation of the findings, the Planning Minister constituted a specialized technical sub-committee comprising experts from the Ministry of Planning, PCSIR and PSQCA. The sub-committee will critically analyses the laboratory findings and submit evidence-based recommendations to the Committee for appropriate regulatory and policy action.
Taking the laboratory findings into consideration, Prof. Ahsan Iqbal directed that the next phase of the exercise should focus on the quality assessment of loose edible oil, ghee and milk, which were not included in the laboratory testing of packaged products. He instructed all provincial governments, regional administrations and relevant authorities to undertake a comprehensive nationwide survey of these loose food items, identify regional patterns of quality, determine the causes of quality deficiencies and recommend practical measures to strengthen food safety standards, regulatory oversight and consumer protection.
The Committee also reviewed the country's inflation outlook, monthly and weekly price trends, wholesale-retail price differentials, international and domestic prices of essential commodities, LPG prices and the implementation status of previous decisions.
A detailed briefing by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) informed the Committee that headline inflation declined to 9.2 percent in July 2026, compared with 11.1 percent in the previous month, reflecting continued easing in inflationary pressures.
The Committee was informed that natural gas remained the largest contributor to inflation, while housing, wheat flour, fresh milk and petrol continued to exert upward pressure on prices. Conversely, lower prices of sugar, potatoes and chicken helped moderate overall inflation.
Reviewing the inflation situation, Prof. Ahsan Iqbal directed the concerned departments to maintain close monitoring of the principal drivers of inflation and recommend timely policy interventions to protect consumers. He emphasized that Government attention should remain focused on commodities that have the greatest impact on household budgets.
The Committee also reviewed the latest Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) and discussed recent movements in the prices of essential commodities. Expressing concern over the significant wholesale-retail price differences observed across various cities, the Planning Minister noted that consumers were often paying substantially different prices for the same commodities despite common sources of supply.
He directed provincial governments and district administrations to investigate the factors contributing to these market distortions and propose practical measures to reduce wholesale-retail price gaps, improve market transparency and ensure that essential commodities are available to consumers at fair prices.
The meeting further reviewed international price trends of major commodities, including crude oil, soybean oil, rice, wheat, sugar, fertilizers and urea, to assess their potential implications for domestic markets.
Concluding the meeting, Prof. Ahsan Iqbal reaffirmed that consumer protection, food quality assurance and price stability remain among the Government's foremost priorities.
