Pakistan's weekly inflation soars 47.23 pct

ISLAMABAD, April 21 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan's weekly inflation soared 47.23 percent on a year-on-year basis, according to the latest data of the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).

The inflation, measured by the sensitive price index (SPI), was mainly caused by a sharp increase in food prices during Ramadan.

The major increase was witnessed in the prices of commodities, including wheat flour, tea, and rice which increased by 143.88 percent, 104.28 percent and 87.30 percent, respectively.

Prices of eggs, pulses, fruits and vegetables and non-food items, including petrol, diesel, and gas, also increased compared to last year, said the bureau.

On a week-on-week basis, the inflation increased 0.51 percent during the week ending on April 19, the data revealed.

The bureau measures inflation by the SPI weekly to assess the price movement of essential commodities at a shorter interval of time to review the overall price situation in the country.

The PBS' SPI comprises 51 essential items collected from 50 markets in 17 cities of the country.