The Punjab government’s prohibition on the movement of wheat and flour out of the province has given rise to fears of an impending flour crisis in neighbouring Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as the move has resulted in a sudden price increase in Peshawar.
According to a report in Dawn, the Pakistan Flour Mills Association (PFMA) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chairman Haji Mohammad Iqbal stated that the government of Punjab had halted the supply of wheat without giving any reason.
The move has resulted in price increase of up to Rs80 per 20kg bag of flour.
Iqbal stated that despite the fact that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf was ruling both at the centre and in KP, there was a flour crisis in the latter.
The PFMA apprised media that around 50 percent of the flour mills in KP had shut down due to government’s disregard for their problems.
He added that the province got 95 percent of its flour from Punjab, so the halting of supply would create a serious crisis.
Iqbal also opined that the upcoming ‘Azadi March’ and the trader strike could worsen the situation.
He complained that they had taken these issues up to the government but to no avail, and warned that if their problems were not resolved, more flour mills would close.
Recently, the Punjab government has started checking the movement of wheat and flour in areas that border Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
According to a report in Dawn, the Pakistan Flour Mills Association (PFMA) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chairman Haji Mohammad Iqbal stated that the government of Punjab had halted the supply of wheat without giving any reason.
The move has resulted in price increase of up to Rs80 per 20kg bag of flour.
Iqbal stated that despite the fact that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf was ruling both at the centre and in KP, there was a flour crisis in the latter.
The PFMA apprised media that around 50 percent of the flour mills in KP had shut down due to government’s disregard for their problems.
He added that the province got 95 percent of its flour from Punjab, so the halting of supply would create a serious crisis.
Iqbal also opined that the upcoming ‘Azadi March’ and the trader strike could worsen the situation.
He complained that they had taken these issues up to the government but to no avail, and warned that if their problems were not resolved, more flour mills would close.
Recently, the Punjab government has started checking the movement of wheat and flour in areas that border Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.