ISLAMABAD: Thirty-two percent of Pakistanis say they have cut down on food because of rising prices, a research group said on Friday.
Soaring food prices and shortages of staples mean about 77 million of Pakistan's 160 million people are food insecure, a 28 percent increase over last year, according to United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) estimates.
The survey of 1,732 people in rural and urban areas conducted in early August also found 56 percent of the people saying rising costs of food, fuel and electricity had had a severe impact on them and their families.
"It might be a serious concern for the government to know that 70 percent of Pakistanis blame the food price hike on government policies as opposed to other factors such as global price trends," said the Pakistani Institute of Public Opinion, which carried out the survey.
Like most emerging economies, Pakistan was badly hit by soaring global oil and food prices over the past year and the country was facing an economic crisis even before the global financial crisis developed.
Pakistan is facing inflation at close to 25 percent, a balance of payment crisis and foreign reserves falling by $1 billion a month.
With no external funding, analysts say the country will most likely have to agree to assistance from the International Monetary Fund.
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