September 22, 2008	Monday	Ramazan 21, 1429

MURREE, Sept 21: The wheat floor crisis has worsened in Murree because of the smuggling of the precious commodity to NWFP from the area, an elected representative said here on Sunday.

The food department and police were in league with the Atta mafias in the smuggling of the commodity, Nazim UC Darya Gali Abid Abbasi Abbasi told Dawn.

Mr Abbasi said he made a number of complaints to the town police against the smuggling of wheat flour but to no avail. The nazim said he along with the people of the area tried to stop the smuggling but was kidnapped by the Atta mafia and tortured badly by them but the police even then did not take any action

He said the Punjab government provided Atta to the poor people of Galyaat at Rs300 per bag but it was being smuggled to the areas of NWFP and sold there at Rs700 to Rs800 per bag.

He alleged that the police were taking Rs5,000 per truck of wheat floor that crossed the Barrian checkpost and that about 30 to 40 trucks of the commodity were being smuggled.

The nazim said the police arrested some people who had taken away Atta from a truck and brutally tortured them. Mr Abbasi said the police also arrested him and alleged that in the office of ASP Murree and in the presence of the deputy district officer revenue (DDOR) and SHO Murree offered him two permits of Atta and asked him not to interfere in the smuggling which he refused.

He said permits were issued in the name of the driver of local MNA and supporter of another MNA and former federal minister and these people were involved in the smuggling of Atta.

Hafeez Abbasi, another notable of the area, said the people of the area would not allow the smuggling of the commodity.

When contacted, SHO Murree Malik Anwar denied the allegations and said there were six agencies, including the food department, revenue department, Special Branch, police, to check the smuggling of Atta.