Author: News Desk

Owing to soaring retail prices of perishable food items, short-term inflation has risen 5.07 percent year-on-year in the week ending Sept 4.

Measured by the Sensitive Price Index (SPI), short-term inflation refers to recent and frequent changes in the price of goods and services within an economy, rather than a long-term trend. It is measured to quickly gauge shifts in consumer prices and purchasing power over a very short period.

SPI inflation has been on an upward trajectory for the past seven weeks, fuelled mainly by sharp increases in the prices of tomatoes, onions, potatoes, rice, chicken, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and wheat flour. Official data showed that inflation increased by 1.29pc on a weekly basis.

Tomatoes led the surge, retailing at up to Rs300 per kg in Islamabad, while sugar climbed to Rs195–200 per kg. Meat prices also maintained a steady upward trend in recent weeks.

While overall short-term inflation seems slower due to last year’s high base, the sharp escalation in perishables and a few key essentials has reversed the stable trend seen earlier this year.

The Frequency Allocation Board (FAB) has taken major steps toward Pakistan’s Next-Generation Mobile Services (NGMS) and 5G auction by freeing up crucial spectrum bands for commercial use.

According to reports, officials told Parliament that FAB worked with the defense forces to release portions of the valuable 700 MHz band and the high-capacity 2300 MHz band. The Board also secured 285 MHz in the globally adopted 3500 MHz mid-band through re-farming of WLL services.

To improve spectrum quality, FAB conducted nationwide monitoring surveys that detected dozens of illegal links. The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has shut those down. FAB also carried out cross-border spectrum surveys and opened talks with India, Afghanistan, Iran, Oman, and the UAE to curb spillover and align frequencies for smoother 5G rollouts.

The Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication (MoITT), FAB, and PTA informed lawmakers that FAB’s 50th meeting approved multiple frequency bands for the upcoming 5G auction. These include 700 MHz (2×15 MHz), 1800 MHz (2×3.6 MHz), 2100 MHz (2×20 MHz), 2300 MHz (50 MHz), 2600 MHz (194 MHz), 3500 MHz (285 MHz), 24 GHz (3.082 GHz), and 39 GHz (4 GHz).

In total, FAB cleared 606 MHz of spectrum for the auction. However, 161.6 MHz remains locked in litigation, including 140 MHz in the 2600 MHz band, which global operators regard as the prime band for 4G and 5G. Legal disputes also continue in the 2100 MHz and 1800 MHz bands, creating hurdles for release and slowing operator participation.

The written reply added that the Advisory Committee on spectrum auction is reviewing two key challenges: finalizing the PTCL–Telenor merger and resolving the litigation in the 2600 MHz band. The committee has urged a swift resolution in the national interest to clear the way for Pakistan’s 5G launch.