Flour dealers go on indefinite strike

Demand immediate withdrawal of withholding tax

RAWALPINDI:

The Flour Dealers Association, Pakistan Naanbai Association, and Grocery Merchant Association have announced an indefinite strike in Rawalpindi Division, protesting against the withholding tax and increased flour prices.

This strike has resulted in a severe shortage of flour in the region. Rawalpindi district alone relies on a daily supply of 35,000 bags of flour, with 85,000 bags needed across the four divisions. The complete shutdown of flour mills has led to black market sales of flour in various areas of the city.

The Flour Dealers Association has rejected the deputy commissioner's proposal for re-negotiation, citing a week of fruitless negotiation meetings. As a result, the strike will continue for an indefinite period. Currently, no one is accepting flour produced by flour mills. Additionally, flour mills have announced they will halt grinding wheat and producing flour from Wednesday (today) onwards as a protest. If this stalemate persists for another two days, a severe flour crisis is expected to affect the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad, as well as all six districts of the division.

Presidents of the Flour Dealer Association, Zahoor Bhatti, Grocery Merchant Association, Salim Parvez Butt, and Pakistan Naanbai Association’s Central President, Shafiq Qureshi have jointly announced that the supply of flour will be completely halted until all taxes are repealed.

The ongoing strike has led to a severe flour crisis in Rawalpindi and Islamabad, with flour dealers refusing to collect flour from flour mills.

Leaders of the flour dealers association, including Nazakat Shah, Khalil Abbasi, Sheikh Faisal, Farrukh Aziz, Faisal Butt, Malik Shahzad, Muneer Abbasi, Malik Sarfaraz, and Haji Parvez, have announced that the supply of flour to various areas, including Attock, Chakwal, Jhelum Tehsil, Murree, Kotli Sattian, Kahuta, Kallar Syedan, Gujjar Khan, and Taxila, has been completely halted. As a result of this ongoing crisis, street vendors have started selling red flour at Rs170 per bag on the black market.

Shafiq Qureshi warned that if the ongoing flour crisis is not resolved within 24 hours, the prices of bread (roti), naan, and paratha will be increased by Rs10 from July 12.

Additionally, if the administration imposes fines and challan, all ovens in Rawalpindi Division and Islamabad will be shut down completely.