Flour prices soar as Punjab blocks supply to K-P

The price of a 20-kilogram flour bag has surged by Rs400 in Peshawar, with fine flour now selling between Rs2,500 and Rs2,900. Within just one week, flour prices have risen by up to Rs550, sparking fears of an intensifying flour crisis in the province alongside the ongoing political turmoil.

According to market sources, the price of special flour has climbed from Rs2,400 to Rs2,500, while chakki flour is being sold at Rs150 per kilogram. An artificial shortage of flour in the city has driven demand sharply upward. Following the announcement of a strike by nanbais (bread makers) from October 16, citizens have begun purchasing flour in large quantities, further straining supply.

The suspension of wheat and flour supply from Punjab has worsened the situation, with provincial stocks nearing depletion. Dealers have reportedly started selling old stocks at new, inflated prices. Along with flour, prices of semolina (sooji) and refined flour (maida) have also increased.

Meanwhile, the People's Trade Forum staged a protest rally in Peshawar against the Punjab government's ban on the transportation of flour to Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. The rally, led by former secretary Shahid Khan, began on Ashraf Road and concluded at GT Road.

Addressing the protesters, speakers accused Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz of playing the "Punjab card" and urged her to end what they called a "revenge-driven" restriction on flour supply to K-P.

They claimed that the ban had already created a flour crisis in the province, adding that the Punjab government had failed to manage the situation.

The speakers warned that the federation cannot remain strong without the participation of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and criticized the central government for ignoring smaller provinces in key policy decisions.