CHARSADDA: All Pakistan Flour Mills Association has demanded immediate supply of wheat to flour mills in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa under the liberal policy otherwise it will launch a protest movement if its demand is not accepted.

Addressing a press conference here on Thursday, All Pakistan Flour Mills Association local president Advocate Murshid Ali Khan and All Pakistan Flour Mills Association executive body member Babar Ali Khan demanded of Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur and Minister for Food Zahir Shah Toru to immediately supply wheat to flour mills in Charsadda and rest of the province under the liberal policy otherwise they would devise future course of action in consultation with provincial association to launch protest movement.

They said that flour mills in the province were facing serious problems due to delay in supply of wheat. They said that people would have to face problems in getting flour if the situation remained the same.

They said that delay in supply of wheat would cause not only closure of flour mills but also surge in prices of flour, which would create problems to poor. They said that in Punjab province wheat was being supplied to flour mills at a rate of Rs7,200 per two bags of 50 kilograms each under the liberal policy since January 1, 2025. They said that price of a 20-kilogram bag in Punjab was up to Rs1,600.

Say people will have to face problems in getting flour if situation remains the same

They said that in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa flour mills were buying wheat from open market at rate of Rs8,000 or more per two bags of 50-kilogram each due to which the price of a 20-kilogram bag was between Rs1,800 to Rs1,900.

They said that flour mills in KP were facing severe problems due to non-availability of wheat and high electricity bills. They said that currently only 20 or 22 flour mills out of 300 in KP while only five out of 19 flour mills in Charsadda district were operational. They said that if immediate supply of wheat to mills was not ensured, there was a risk of closure of more flour mills.

They said that chief minister, minister for food and secretary food should take immediate measures for release of wheat quota to flour mills.

KILLED: A man identified as Nawab Shah allegedly shot dead his wife over a domestic dispute in Bakiana area.

A 27-year-old school teacher Nazia, daughter of Ibrahim Shah, of Maidan Upper Dir was killed by her husband Nawab Shah in Bakiana area when she was going to school in the morning.

The victim, a mother of two children, had come to her parents’ house in Charsadda from Dir after developing differences with his husband.

Published in Dawn, January 10th, 2025