KARACHI: Sindh Food Minister Jam Mehtab Dahar on Thursday asked the protesting flour millers to give up their black mailing tactics as the government will initiate legal action, including cancellation of licences, against those found violating the inter-provincial ban on wheat.

Addressing a press conference at his office in Sindh Secretariat, the minister said the flour millers were indulging in the smuggling of 70 to 80 truckloads of wheat to Balochistan violating the ban placed on the inter-provincial movement of wheat under Section 144 of the criminal procedure code.

Eighty five members of the Sindh chapter of Pakistan Flour Mills Association have been on strike since Tuesday in protest against the food department for creating hurdle in what they said free movement of wheat from farms to the mills.

Mr Dahar contested the stand taken by the association and said that the millers were involved in the smuggling of 70 to 80 truckloads of wheat and wheat flour to Balochistan on a daily basis. In Balochistan, the millers received Rs300 to Rs400 per 40-kg bag more than the official rate fixed in Sindh, he said.

He said that he had moved a summary to the chief minister to also impose inter-provincial ban on wheat flour movement. He expressed the hope that the ban on wheat flour movement would be notified by Friday.

Mr Dahar gave assurance to the people that the millers and chakki owners, who refused to go on strike, would continue to supply wheat flour to meet the requirement of the metropolis. He said that representatives of the millers and chakki owners had made commitment with him during their meeting on Wednesday that they would see to it that there should be no shortage of wheat flour in Karachi.

Besides, he said, he had already sent a summary to the chief minister to ban movement of wheat flour out of the province under Section 144 of the criminal procedure code. He said its notification was likely to be issued on Friday.

In reply to a question, Mr Dahar said there was bumper crop of wheat in Sindh and the government had procured two to three times more wheat than last year’s but the delay in meeting the target was due to late start of procurement. However, he added, the target would be met within a week or so.

In reply to another question, he said that the millers could purchase wheat in four ditsricts and the government would provide them due passage. However, if due to transportation problem there would be need to supply wheat to the millers, the governmet would supply wheat from its godowns to ensure that there should be no shortage of wheat flour in Sindh.

About profiteering, the minister said it was the responsibility of the district administration to ensure that no trader sell wheat flour at rates more than the official.