DLP Report
PESHAWAR
The provincial president of Awami National Party (ANP) Mian Iftikhar Hussain has strongly criticized the Punjab government’s decision to halt the supply of wheat and flour to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, and Azad Kashmir, calling it a clear violation of the Constitution, federal principles, and provincial rights.
Speaking to the media, Mian Iftikhar said that whenever KP faces difficult times, Punjab shuts its doors, despite the fact that essential resources such as oil, gas, electricity, and coal from the province were continuously supplied to Punjab without interruption. He questioned the fairness of a system where Punjab can freely access resources from other provinces, yet restricts basic necessities like wheat when others are in need.
He expressed outrage over Punjab authorities labelling the movement of wheat across provincial borders as “smuggling”, calling it a shameful and unconstitutional act that undermines the spirit of the federation. “When our resources went to Punjab, it was not considered smuggling.
Mian Iftikhar warned that such policies foster deep mistrust and resentment among the provinces. He said that while the ANP believes in a united Pakistan based on equal rights for all four provinces, the repeated impression being created was that Punjab alone defines the federation.
He alleged that the Punjab government had tightened control over wheat supply at both inter-provincial and inter-district levels, setting up strict checkpoints and preventing even the transportation of legally purchased wheat to Azad Kashmir.
The result, he said, has been a severe shortage of flour in KP and Balochistan, causing unbearable price hikes that were affecting already struggling citizens.
Mian Iftikhar also condemned recent military operations and drone attacks in Bajaur, where four children were reportedly killed. He questioned the provincial and federal governments’ claims that the area had been cleared of terrorists, asking whether these innocent children were considered threats.
