CHARSADDA: A flour crisis has hit Charsadda district, with a 20kg bag selling for up to Rs2,500 on the local market.

Charsadda Flour Mills Association president Murshid Ali Khan, along with member of the provincial executive council Babar Ali Khan, told reporters that an “unnecessary” halt to wheat supply by the Punjab government had triggered the flour crisis in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

According to them, due to the lack of wheat supply, hundreds of flour mills across the province had shut down, with only a few operational in Charsadda.

Mr Murshid Khan warned that the province had less than one month’s wheat stock left.

“If the situation continues, people will be left scrambling even for a single kilogramme of flour,” he said.

He added that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was already suffering from terrorism and flood devastation, and the Punjab government’s executive order to stop wheat transportation in a violation of the Constitution had added to people’s misery,

The association leader said under the Constitution, no restrictions could be placed on the supply of essential commodities.

He, however, said the Punjab government, acting arbitrarily, had done an injustice to the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa through the wheat ban.

“While Khyber Pakhtunkhwa supplies water and electricity to Punjab, people of KP are being deprived of wheat in return,” he said.

Criticising the provincial government, Murshid Khan said the federal government had already formulated a policy for wheat procurement and had transferred funds to banks, instructing the provincial government to provide these funds to flour mill owners for purchasing wheat.

He, however, said due to the provincial government’s incompetence, the policy was not implemented, leading to the current flour crisis.

“Large quantities of wheat are being hoarded in the warehouses of LDC, a company owned by Punjab chief minister’s son Junaid Safdar. Yet, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is being deliberately deprived of wheat supply. Meanwhile, wheat is rotting in Punjab for being surplus, while the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are suffering from hunger and poverty,” he said.

The association leader urged the federal government, the Corps Commander, and the chief secretary of Punjab to immediately intervene and ensure that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa receives its wheat quota in proportion to its population.

Published in Dawn, September 13th, 2025