ISLAMABAD: Nanbais of the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad are up in arms, urging the government to either provide them wheat flour on subsidised rates or allow them to increase prices of Naan and Roti.

The Nanbai Associations of Rawalpindi on Thursday threatened to go on strike, if wheat flour rates were not brought under control within 10 days, while the Nanbai Association of Islamabad announced its plan to approach the Islamabad High Court (IHC) against the alleged indifferent attitude of the capital administration in this regard.

Addressing a news conference at the National Press Club, Rawalpindi Nanbai Association President Shahjahan Abbasi warned the federal and provincial governments of a countrywide shutter-down, if action was not taken against flour mills and dealers amid a sharp increase in wheat flour prices.

“The government’s responsibility is to supply flour so that Roti can be sold at controlled price,” he remarked, adding that the rate of Roti should be Rs25 under the current conditions.

Ask govt to allow increase in prices of Roti, Naan or ensure provision of flour on subsidised rates

“If we are continuously harassed, we will be left with no option but to go for a nationwide strike,” he said, adding that the official price of Roti could not be maintained after a 70 per cent rise in flour rates during the past two weeks. During his presser, he used the term “mafias” for the flour mills.

He said an 80kg sack of wheat flour, which was previously available at Rs6,000, was now being sold for Rs9,000.

“How can we maintain the prices?” he asked. Mr Abbasi alleged that the “mill mafia and dealers” were profiteering in the name of floods.

He also asked the government to stop the relevant agencies and magistrates from harassing the tandoor owners through fines and crackdowns on daily basis.

Under the current arrangement in Rawalpindi, Roti (pateer) is a regulated product sold by nanbais at Rs15 for 120gm, while naan rates are set by the association at Rs25 for 120gm.

However, both are regulated products in Islamabad and their rates are notified by the ICT administration. In most parts of the capital, Nanbais are selling Roti for Rs18 and Naan for Rs20.

Talking to Dawn, Patron-in-Chief of the Capital Nanbai Association Habib Khan said the key demand of the tandoor owners of Islamabad was delinking Naan from the list of regulated items. He said they had decided to take the matter to the court as negotiations with the ICT administration had failed.

When contacted, Deputy Commissioner Islamabad Irfan Nawaz said the Nanbais were free to exercise their right. He said the recent rate of Roti notified by Punjab was Rs14. On the other hand, he said, they had fixed Roti price at Rs18 for Islamabad’s urban areas and Rs16 for rural areas.

“Even then they don’t follow the notified rates,” he regretted.

Anjuman Tajiran Pakistan has also supported the demands of Nanbais and asked the authorities to extend checks on flour mills and control hoarding of wheat flour and other wheat products in the country.

President of Anjuman Tajiran Kashif Chaudhry warned that the traders would announce a future course of action, if the crisis was not addressed within 10 days.

“We do not want to deprive a common man of Roti, but it is impossible to sell it at the official rate,” he said, adding that the option of strike would be considered, if the government failed to act.

Published in Dawn, September 12th, 2025