Naanbais announce province-wide strike

RAWALPINDI:

The strike by the Naanbai Association against rising prices of flour and fines imposed by the Punjab Enforcement Regulatory Authority (PERA) entered its second day on Thursday, shutting down tandoors across Rawalpindi district.

With all small and large tandoors closed, citizens, students, and employees were forced to go to schools, colleges, and offices without breakfast for the second straight day.

The closure has also hit small hotels and street vendors selling naan, roti, and chickpeas. Many small eateries have started sourcing homemade bread, hiring women to bake rotis from home for payment. Major offices also reported disruption in their food services.

Association President Shafiq Qureshi told the media that for six months they had been informing the deputy commissioner about the steep rise in flour prices, insisting they could no longer sell roti at Rs14. "Instead of listening, magistrates raided tandoors, sealed them, and imposed heavy fines," he said.

Initial telephonic negotiations between the Naanbai Association and the district administration failed.

The association has now announced a jail bharo (fill the jails) movement and plans to extend the strike across Punjab and the federal capital.

Qureshi alleged that police and PERA teams tried to arrest bakers from their homes and force tandoors open.