SUKKUR, Oct 7: Shortage of flour has occurred in Sukkur and its surrounding areas due to which the price of a 100kg flour bag has increased by Rs40.

The reason behind the shortage of flour is said to be low supply of wheat to flour mill owners by the food department.

Many flour mills have been closed down and the remaining ones have increased the rate of flour.

Wazir Memon, taluka Naib Nazim, Sukkur, protested against the low supply of wheat to the flour mills by the food department and said that it had led to the increase in flour price which was adding to the sufferings of the residents.

In a statement issued here on Tuesday, he said that due to the low supply of flour, mills were being closed and their workers rendered jobless.

He said that the flour quota of the closed mills should be distributed among the working mills.

The Nazim said that as the month of Ramazan was approaching, immediate measures were needed to control the situation.

CONVICTED: The Anti-Terrorism Court-II, Sukkur, on Tuesday convicted four man of kidnapping for ransom, sentenced them to life imprisonment and ordered to forfeit their property.

The anti-terrorism court acquitted other accused due to non-availability of evidence against them.

The convicts — Sajjad Ali Buriro, Ali Khan Umrani, Liaqat Ali Mahar and Ahmed Ali — had kidnapped Dr Amanullah Bhurgari for ransom on Jan 18, 2001.