Sir: Islamabad has always been the most expensive city in Pakistan but the recent hyperinflationary episode is going to rank this city even more expensive than big modern cities in the world today and make people’s lives hell, with the exception of the ruling elite and the octopus-like bureaucracy. There is an alarming tendency of inflation among local traders. Landlords have irrationally raised rents. This has seriously affected the salaried class and put people under severe crisis. This severity of inflation has paralysed families of daily wage earners in the city and in its suburbs. As usual this hyper-inflation has no effect at all on the corrupt lot living in this city because everybody knows who pays for their luxurious and kingly lifestyles. Something must be done on a war footing to tame the surging inflation and cost of essential items in Islamabad, before it is too late and people are reduced to turn to corruption to meet their basic needs or they commit suicide to get rid of their lives once and for all. Hashim Abro Islamabad