PESHAWAR, July 2: The NWFP has contacted the Punjab government against the imposition of a ban on the transportation of wheat from Punjab to the NWFP, and the Centre would also be moved shortly to get the restriction lifted, according to sources.

“As a last resort we may also move the Supreme Court against the Punjab government’s decision, which is in contradiction to article 151 of the Constitution,” NWFP minister for food Fazal-i-Rabbani said while talking to journalists here on Wednesday.

The minister agreed with the NWFP chapter of Pakistan Flour Mills Association’s contention that the decision would further harm the NWFP’s flour mills — already going through a recessionary period.

“The decision is bound to cause closure of the remaining flour mills of NWFP,” said Niaz Ahmed, president of the NWFP chapter of Pakistan Flour Mills Association while addressing a press conference here on Wednesday.

He said out of the 300 flour mills set up in the NWFP, 90 per cent had already been closed down whereas the remaining might have to stop work as a result of ban on wheat transportation.

“Billions of rupees’ investment made in the NWFP by the private sector would be jeopardized if the ban was not lifted immediately,” said the minister while talking to Dawn.

The government of Punjab on Monday last imposed ban on the transportation of wheat from Punjab to other provinces by invoking section 144 of CRPC.

The NWFP minister for food took up the issue with his Punjab government counterpart on Monday.

“The Punjab food minister said that he would respond to the NWFP’s contact after discussing the matter with Punjab chief minister Chaudhary Pervez Illahi, “ said Mr Rabbani.

The NWFP government is also considering moving the Centre against the Punjab government’s decision.

Addressing the press conference, president of the NWFP chapter of Pakistan Flour Mills Association Niaz Ahmed apprehended that the NWFP would shortly experience a serious crisis of wheat.

However, the minister for food, when contacted by Dawn, dispelled the impression, and said that the NWFP had ample stocks of wheat to meet the flour consumption requirements.

He said the NWFP government would purchase wheat from Passco if the Punjab government did not revert its ‘unconstitutional’ decision.