SAHIWAL, Aug 30: District food officials have succeeded in convincing nine flourmills to sell 20kg flour bag at Rs290. However, by accepting the terms of the food department, these flourmills have widened the divide in the Pakistan Flour Mills Association (PFMA) thanks to the efforts of Punjab Food Minister Malik Nadeem Kamran and PML-N leaders.

These flourmills had earlier refused to take their wheat quota at the official rate and sell 20kg flour bag at Rs290. They said the wheat and flour rates set by the government were not fair. They supported PFMA's stance on the issue.

District food officials were under pressure to break the standoff at least in the district because Sahiwal is the hometown of the provincial food minister. The minister exerted pressure on the millers from all sides and finally convinced them to accept the government rates set for flour.

Haji Sajad, president of the PFMA’s Sahiwal chapter, confirmed the flourmills had decided to accept the flour rate set by the government and lift their wheat quota.

Soon after the agreement, the district food controller called all nine flourmill owners in his office rand distributed wheat quota permits among them.