PESHAWAR: Flour millers in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) have threatened to go on strike starting from tomorrow (Monday) if the restriction on transportation of wheat from Punjab is not lifted immediately.
The flour millers are demanding that the government and relevant authorities allow procurement of wheat from open markets in Punjab in order to prevent the flour mills industry in KP from being destroyed.
According to the All Pakistan Flour Mills Association Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (APFMA-KP) Chairman, Haji Muhammad Iqbal, the ban on movement of wheat from Punjab was imposed on the pretext of smuggling, which has caused an increase in prices and shortage of wheat to mills in KP. Iqbal further claimed that the ban on inter-provincial movement is a violation of article 151 of the constitution of the country and termed the Punjab government’s move as completely unlawful and unconstitutional.
He expressed fear that if the government does not take serious notice of this issue, the price of flour will further rise beyond the purchasing power of poor people. He urged the government to take notice of the ban imposed by Punjab on transportation of wheat and save the complete closure of the flour mills in the province.
The APFM provincial chief also stated that check posts had been established to monitor movement of wheat from Punjab to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He claimed that the Punjab government’s move has created division and hatred among the federating units. He said 70 percent of the flour industry has closed down owing to the illegal ban on inter-provincial movement of wheat that has triggered massive unemployment in the province, besides sinking investment worth billions of rupees.
Iqbal assured that millers will provide quality and low-price flour to the people of KP if the wheat supply would be restored from Punjab and allowed to procure wheat from the open market in Punjab. The government is yet to respond to the flour millers’ demands, and the strike may cause further disruption to the already fragile economy.
