SWAT: People in various cities of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Sunday held protest demonstrations against rising prices of flour and other essential commodities and asked the government to take immediate steps to control prices and ensure availability of daily use food items.

In Swat, the protesters in Khwazakhela and Mingora took to the streets despite rain against the record hike in prices of essential food commodities. The local traders federation urged Chief Minister Mahmood Khan to increase the flour quota for Swat.

They said flour prices touched a record high in Swat where 20kg flour bag had reached Rs3,200. They said the people were worried about the flour crisis and needed immediate relief.

They said prices of all the daily use items had gone out the people’s reach. They said the wheat supplied to the local mills was of inferior quality. Swat traders federation president Abdul Rahim warned that if steps were not taken to control inflation the traders would be forced to call for big protests across Malakand division.

Ask govt to ensure availability of food commodities at reasonable rates

In Charsadda, despite rain the people of Tarnab area came out on streets against skyrocketing prices of wheat flour and other food items.

The protesters demanded the government to control inflation and provide relief to the people. Abid Jan of Tarnab, Altaf Khan, Fazal Amin and others spoke on the occasion.

In Khyber, scores of tribesmen, including political activists, held a demonstration against price hike at Bacha Khan Chowk in the main Landi Kotal Bazaar.

Addressing the protesters, Kalimullah, Manzoor Khan and others accused the federal and provincial governments of their failure to control rising prices of essential commodities and ensure their availability in most parts of merged districts.

They demanded increase in flour quota for the residents of Landi Kotal along with a crackdown on hoarders and profiteers. They also urged the local administration to ensure availability of essential commodities at the local utility stores.

In Lower Dir, Jamaat-i-Islami workers on the call of its chief Sirajul Haq staged a protest rally in Adenzai on Sunday against the shortage of flour and price hike.

Led by the JI local leadership, the protesters gathered outside the Chakdara Press Club and chanted slogans against the federal and provincial governments for their failure to control inflation.

Addressing the protesters, JI tehsil chief Dr Bashir Mohammad and other leaders said that the leadership of both the Pakistan Democratic Movement and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf were responsible for the whole mess in the country. They said Pakistan was an agricultural country, but people still stood in long queues for getting a small bag of flour.

They said that both the PDM and PTI were responsible for the flour crisis in the country. They said the prices of essential commodities like flour, rice, sugar, ghee and pulses had soared manifold during the last four years and the people were unable to feed their families.

They asked the people to support JI so that their issues could be resolved on priority.

In Shangla, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf workers on Sunday blocked Bisham-Swat road in Baily Baba Bazaar in protest against the current wave of inflation, especially sharp increase in the flour prices.

The PTI workers gathered in Bailay Baba bazaar despite snowfall and rain to record their protest against inflation. The protesters were led by PTI Alpuri tehsil chairman Waqar Ahmad Khan.

Addressing the protesters, Waqar Ahmad warned the federal government to immediately resume wheat supply to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa otherwise they would come onto roads against the rulers.

Published in Dawn, January 9th, 2023