Suo motu notice: Court directs govt to ensure flour availability in 24 hours

Gilgit has been facing a flour shortage for two weeks.

GILGIT:

The Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B) Supreme Appellate Court has directed the government to ensure that flour is available in Gilgit within 24 hours.

Chief Judge Rana Muhammad Arshad Khan on Wednesday issued the orders while hearing a suo motu notice regarding the ongoing flour shortage in Gilgit.

For the past two weeks, a standoff between the government and flour mill owners over rates has led to a shortage of the product and ultimately the closure of around 100 tandoors in the area. Nearly 500 people have been left jobless.



The shortage affected both hotels and residents alike as flour and roti (bread) has remained unavailable in Gilgit town for two weeks. This prompted the court to take suo motu notice.

The full court comprised Justice Rana Muhammad Arshad, Justice Raja Jalaluddin and Justice Muzaffar Ali. Food Secretary Wazir Ishfaq and Supply Deputy Director Ghulam Muhammad were the representatives of the government. They were represented by Attorney General Asadullah.

The apex court inquired what reasons led to the crisis to which Asadullah replied the dealer system had been replaced by sales points to ensure transparency in the distribution of flour. “The dealer system was a flawed system and put question marks over the whole process of distribution,” he said.

The court then sought details of the total quota of wheat the federal government supplied to the G-B government on subsidised rates and directed the AG to submit a reply in the next hearing scheduled after Eid.

The court also directed the attorney general to submit details about the current process of purchasing grain from Punjab and its distribution in G-B. Asadullah was also directed to submit details about price per bag, transportation system and the cost involved in transporting them from Lahore to Gilgit.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 10^th, 2013.