CHARSADDA: Following an increase in the prices of wheat flour, the All Bakers Association, Charsadda, on Thursday set a 10-day deadline for the government to increase roti price and warned if the demand wasn’t met, tandoors would be closed across the province.

It also threatened to take to the streets on the matter.

The warning was issued during a news conference attended by provincial president of the association Iqbal Paindakhel, district president Malik Attaur Rehman Babu, chairman Mujahid, senior vice president Haji Nasir, general secretary Faizullah Khan and other office-bearers.

Earlier, they held a meeting to discuss the increase in flour prices.

The association leaders complained that the price of wheat flour had been rising for the last several days.

They said instead of taking action against nanbais for increasing roti prices on their own, the flour mills and flour dealers should be held accountable for higher flour prices.

The association leaders said the price of an 80kg fine flour bag had gone up from Rs6,000 to Rs10,000 but the roti price was the same, causing nanbais financial losses.

They insisted that the administration was raiding tandoors and harassing nanbais instead of cracking down on flour mills and flour dealers.

PILGRIMS STRANDED IN JEDDAH: Hundreds of Umrah pilgrims from Charsadda district and other parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have reportedly got stuck at the Jeddah Airport due to flight delays.

People told Dawn that the Syrian Airlines flight for Peshawar from Jeddah had been delayed for several days to the misery of pilgrims awaiting return.

They also insisted that the airline had suspended the refund policy, rendering pilgrims unable to buy tickets for other airlines.

The people said for nearly 10 days, Syrian Airlines flights between Peshawar and Jeddah had been delayed, leading to quarrels among travel agents, Umrah pilgrims and their families. Families of the pilgrims and Charsadda Travel Association have urged the federal government to ensure the immediate return of stranded Pakistanis from Jeddah.

Published in Dawn, September 19th, 2025