PESHAWAR: All Pakistan Flour Mills Association, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chapter has flayed the Punjab government over ‘imposition’ of ban on the interprovincial movement of wheat, calling it ‘unconstitutional’, and feared that KP might face flour crisis if the restriction was not lifted forthwith.

Addressing a joint press conference following a meeting here on Wednesday, Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Fazal Moqeem Khan and the association’s KP chairman Naeem Butt accused the Punjab government of halting supply of wheat to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and described it as sheer violation of Article 151 of the Constitution.

They elaborated that Punjab authorities had erected a special checkpoint, barring wheat-laden vehicles from entering KP, calling it as economic terrorism. They said KP was facing a huge deficit of wheat and was dependent on procurement from open market.

Mr Moqem and Mr Butt said KP was facing a shortfall of 41,000 metric tonnes of wheat as the province’s total production was 12,000 metric tonnes against its demand of 51,000 metric tonnes.

They said a substantial increase in flour prices was witnessed after restrictions on supply of wheat to KP from Punjab were imposed, forcing people to buy flour at high rates. They warned of further increase if the ban was not lifted immediately.

Mr Moqeem and Mr Butt pointed out that wheat sector had been deregulated under an agreement with the IMF, after which wheat and flour were put under an open market mechanism, barring the government from determining prices of wheat and flour and imposing any kind of restrictions on movement of wheat.

They said the Punjab government had defied the constitutional provision and the IMF agreement by banning movement on August 26, opening ways of corruption for police and other authorities. They alleged that Rs150,000 was being charged per truck as bribe at various illegal checkpoints.

They said such decisions had never proved productive in the past, and had always given birth to crisis. They claimed that the move was aimed at creating wheat crisis in the KP province.

Mr Moqeem and Mr Butt said thousands of tonnes of wheat was available with the government in carry-forward stock, but even then such tactics were used in a bid to create artificial shortage, which would not only hit the ordinary citizens but the flour industry as well.

They appealed to the army chief Field Marshal Gen Asim Munir, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Rana Tanveer Hussain and KP Chief Minister Gandapur to immediately intervene in the matter to avert flour crisis in KP.

They emphasised the need for ensuring free inter-provincial trade and cracking down on ‘extortion mafia’.

They announced that they would decide future course of action if the ban was not lifted immediately.

Published in Dawn, September 4th, 2025