MANSEHRA: Owners of flour mills on Saturday warned that if the federal government didn’t withdraw the recently imposed withholding tax on their businesses and an increase in electricitycharges, they would go on strike.

Miller Mohammad Bashir Awan told reporters here that the provincial body of the flour mills association had completed consultative exercise on the matter and would give a call for the strike.

“The government increased fixed charges on our electricity bills from Rs500 to Rs2,000 in the budget 2024-25, suggesting if a miller pays Rs40,000 for electricity consumption, he will be charged Rs20,000 more in future,” he said.

Mr Awan also complained about the Rs42 withholding tax on a 20kg flour bag, insisting the move will hike the price.

They also complain of Punjab’s ban on wheat transportation

He also criticised the Punjab governments for banning the supply of wheat and flour from its territory to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The miller warned that flour mills in the province, which had broken even, would be ruined by the new taxes and Punjab’s ban on wheat transportation.

He said the All Pakistan Flour Mills Association was seriously mulling the strike proposal.

HELD: The police on Saturday arrested a proclaimed offender in the Battal area here.

The arrest of Abid Gulzaman came during a crackdown on outlaws in the district.

The detainee was wanted in a dozen cases of murder, murder attempt and theft.

District police officer Shafiullah Khan Gandapurtold reporters that Abid Gulzaman repeatedly escaped arrest during police raids on his hideout in the dense alpine forests in the Chinarkot area.

“This time around, the proclaimed offender was held after an exchange of fire with police,” he said.

Mr Gandapur, however, said the detainee’s close aide, Painda Khan, who was also wanted for heinous crimes, fled into the dense forest.

“We’re searching for Painda and are optimistic about his early arrest,” he said.

The DPO urged the outlaws to surrender and warned their harbourers of strict action.

Meanwhile, the police arrested eight people, including a woman, after seizing unlicensed arms and ammunition in the Mera Baffa area here on Saturday.

“The ringleader introduced himself as the superintendent of police and other gang members as constables to a family in the Baffa Mera area before trying to kidnap one of its minor male members,” deputy superintendent of police Arshad Khan told reporters.

He said a police team led by Baffa SHO Aurangzeb arrested Niaz Sultan, Usman Ghulab, Zafar Ali, Irfanullah, Kaleem Khan, Khalid Iqbal, Nazra Shams and Naila Jalil over the kidnapping bid.

The DSP said the detainees belonged to Charsadda and Baffa areas and had a pickup vehicle, police uniforms, five Kalashnikov rifles, thousands of rounds and cartridges, magazines, and wireless sets.

The police later produced the detainees before journalists.

Published in Dawn, July 7th, 2024