KOHAT: The Kohat Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Rasheed Paracha has criticised the ban on export of regular wheat flour to Afghanistan, fearing it would result in bribery at the border and by police on various routes.

He said that it would be difficult to differentiate between the regular and fine quality flour.

He claimed that the FBR had imposed a ban on export of regular flour, but allowed that of fine quality flour, Maida and Suji.

He feared that now the mills owners would start smuggling of wheat to Afghanistan which would create its shortage in the country and result in increase in the flour price.

He said that scores of businessmen engaged in export of wheat flour to Afghanistan through Parachinar would be affected by the ban. He said that the mills owners would sell all quota of wheat meant for flour and make easy money.

He demanded that strict mechanism should be devised to stop the mills owners from exporting wheat.

PRICES OF RAMS UP: Majority of the middle class people are forced to buy goats due to skyrocketing prices of rams as Eidul Azha draws nearer.

Because of the high prices of rams, most of the people are putting share in big sacrificial animals.

Usually, three to four brothers or neighbours collect up to Rs100,000 to buy a big sacrificial animal like cow or bull for sharing it despite the insistence of children for rams.

Nawaz Izzatkhel, who is in the business of selling rams for decades, said that the prices of rams had doubled and tripled during the last three years. He said that fluctuation in the prices was determined based on timing of buying as the prices increased as the Eid drew nearer.

A ram available at a price between Rs.25,000 and Rs30,000 a month ago was now being sold at Rs45,000. He said as the rush of buyers increased just ahead of Eid the sellers also started charging the price of their choosing.

However, some wise buyers searched for rams and cows in the villages and went to big markets like Bannu and Domail to buy sacrificial animals at affordable prices.

Published in Dawn, August 10th, 2019