Flour mill association blames PTI minister for crisis in Punjab

Punjab Minister for Industries Aslam Iqbal says crackdown will continue against mills selling substandard flour

LAHORE: The Pakistan Flour Mill Association, rejecting the speculations of any flour shortage in Punjab, have dubbed it a political conspiracy against the provincial government, asking why was the government not taking action against flour grinding machines shop.

The association members also accused Punjab Minister for Industries Aslam Iqbal for being behind the artificial crisis. They asked as to why the minister of industries, who had always spoken against flour mills, was not taking any action against flour grinding machines shops.

They said there was no shortage of flour in Punjab nor was any issue of its prices. They said undue profits being exhorted by flour grinding machines shop owners has nothing to do with flour mills.

They said the problem in Sindh and Balochistan was a result of their own incompetence. Whereas problem in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) accrued after Punjab had again banned the supply of flour to them.

Minister for Industry Aslam Iqbal said the crackdown would continue against flour mills selling wheat purchased from a government quota on subsidised rates in market and mills selling substandard flour. Rubbishing the accusation, he said that voices against him were from either the victims of the crackdown or ones fearing it.

In order to ensure uninterrupted transportation of wheat and flour from Punjab to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, important decisions were taken by Punjab Chief Secretary Major (retd) Azam Suleman Khan during his video-link meeting with K-P Chief Secretary Dr Kazim Niaz, held at the camp office on Saturday.

The K-P chief secretary informed his counterpart during the meeting about the problems being faced at borders during transportation of wheat and flour from Punjab to K-P.

Whereas PML-N President and National Assembly Opposition Leader Shehbaz Sharif, who is London for the past several weeks, has strongly condemned the surge in wheat prices and the crisis created by the PTI government and has demanded strict action against those responsible.

In a statement, Shehbaz said, the PTI and its leader must tell the people of Pakistan the real reasons behind this crisis. He said the nation deserves to know where exactly did the wheat stock disappear.