Peshawar
Flour millers in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) have made an appeal to Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif and Punjab Chief Minister Hamza Shahbaz to immediately lift ban on the movement of wheat and flour as it has caused closure of a number of mills in the province.
The millers said the restrictions on interprovincial movement of wheat and other food items were against Article 151 of the Constitution, which should be lifted forthwith.
Speaking at a press conference, Flour Mills Association KP Chairman Sabir Bangash, said KP was dependent on Punjab to fulfill its food requirements.
He appealed to the Prime Minister and Chief Minister Punjab for ensuring the supply of flour to the citizens of KP at reasonable prices, adding that effective steps could save the millers from disaster.
“ KP has an annual demand of 4.5 million to 5 million tons of wheat, while the province produce of 6.8 million tons annually, he added.
The rest of the requirements are either wheat provided by Pasco after purchasing wheat from the open market of Punjab. Sadly, the Punjab government has once again banned the supply of KP flour under the guise of curbing smuggling, due to which the citizens of the province are forced to buy 20 kg of flour at Rs 1500,” he lamented.
Mohammad Naeem Butt, group leader of All Pakistan Flour Mills Association said that the supply of flour to the people at different prices in the provinces was unfair, he said , the Punjab government provides wheat to its flour mills at discounted prices due to which the current market price of 20 kg flour in Punjab was Rs 950.
The association demanded that the K P government like the Punjab government, should provide wheat to the flour mills at a discounted price so as to ensure the supply of cheap daman flour to the people as well as save the employment of thousands of flour workers.
The association demanded that flour mill owners and flour dealers of KP should be allowed to buy wheat and flour from the open market of Punjab.
Officials of Flour Mills Association asked the provincial government to take the issue up with the Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, Punjab Chief Minister Hamza Shahbaz and ensure supply of wheat to flour mills at discounted prices.
A number of flour mill owners were also present at the press conference.
