TAXILA: District Food Controller Rawalpindi Sufian Asif Awan on Wednesday said that the highest ever quantity of wheat and flour was confiscated by the food department during the last two months which were smuggled from different parts of Punjab to KP.

Briefing newsmen at Brahma Bhattar interchange, the food controller said in August and September the food department in collaboration with police foiled an attempt to smuggle 3,400 tons of wheat and flour from Punjab to KP during last two months and 200 vehicles impounded.

He said that during two months, 2,900 tons of wheat and 1,400 tons of flour smuggling bids from Punjab to KP were foiled by various teams of the food department.

He said the food department in collaboration with police and other law enforcement agencies had established a fool proof surveillance system to check wheat and flour smuggling from Punjab to KP via Rawalpindi district.

Responding to a question, he said that as many as 195 FIRs had been registered against the smugglers. He said that the food department had established as many as seven check posts at various entry points of the district including motorway and G.T. Road especially at Sangjani, Fatehjang, Hakla, Brahma, M-1, Ahatta and Jandial to check the smuggling of wheat and wheat products.

Responding to another question, Mr Awan said that the wheat is largely being smuggled from Lahore and Gujranwala district while flour is being smuggled from the local flour mills to various parts of KP and Hazara division.

Responding to another question, Mr Awan has ruled out paucity of flour in all the tehsils of the district. He said that the food department has established as many as 146 trucking points, 149 model shops and 1787 sale points across the district one lakh 80 thousand bags of flour being supplied on daily basis for sale to common buyers.

Published in Dawn, September 25th, 2022