Punjab lifts ban on flour supply to K-P

The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Food Department has granted permits to local dealers for the purchase of flour from Rahim Yar Khan district in Punjab. This comes after the Punjab government lifted the ban on the supply of flour, which had contributed to soaring prices in the K-P market.

Following discussions with the federal and Punjab governments by the caretaker chief minister, the ban was withdrawn and the K-P food department was officially informed.

An official from the food department stated that permits have been issued for the purchase of flour from Rahim Yar Khan district. The supplies are expected to reach Peshawar on Monday, which is anticipated to significantly reduce flour prices. It is estimated that there will be a drop of at least Rs500 per 20-kilo bag of flour in the K-P market, with further stabilization of prices over time.

Earlier, the Pakistan Flour Mills Association Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (PFMA-K-P) expressed concern over the ban on wheat transportation from Punjab to other provinces, leading to the closure of 70% of the flour industry in K-P. The association called upon the prime minister, chief ministers of Punjab and K-P, to address the issue and remove all check posts that hinder wheat transportation.

Chairman of PFMA-K-P, Muhammad Iqbal, highlighted the unconstitutional nature of the ban under Article 151 of the constitution. He urged the prime minister and relevant authorities to allow K-P flour mills to freely purchase wheat from the private market in Punjab, enabling the reopening of closed flour mills and ensuring the availability of affordable and quality flour for the local population. Iqbal also requested a special relief package for provincial flour mills to support job restoration for unemployed laborers.

Iqbal further expressed disappointment over the delayed hearing of a petition filed in the Supreme Court of Pakistan regarding the issue. He called upon the chief justice to take notice of the violation of Article 151 and expedite the hearing of PFMA’s petition.

He further called for steps to avert such ban on edible items especially on wheat in future and provide relief to flour mill industry in K-P.

He said that at present, there are abundant reserves of wheat in the province of Punjab and the food department under its wheat procurement policy allowed flour mills of Punjab to purchase wheat.

However due to ban on transportation of wheat to other provinces, the people are forced to purchase flour at the rate of Rs3,000 to 4,000 per 20 kilo bag.

He said that PFMA-K-P requests the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Shehbaz Sharif, the Governor K-P Ghulam Ali, K-P Chief Minister Azam Khan, K-P Food Minister, chief secretary and the food department to allow K-P flour mills to freely purchase wheat from the private market of Punjab so that the closed flour mill industry of the province could restart its operations and provide cheap and quality flour to the people locally.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 22^nd, 2023.