MANSEHRA: Special adviser to the chief minister for information Barrister Mohammad Ali Saif has said the federal and Punjab governments are trying in vain to create a wheat flour crisis in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as the latter has sufficient stocks of that staple part of diet to meet the local demands.

“The prime minister [Shehbaz Sharif] first held the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government responsible for his government’s inability to check wheat and flour smuggling to neighbouring Afghanistan and now wants to create food insecurity here by banning flour transportation,” Mr Saif told a presser at the Insaf Secretariat here on Friday.

Accompanied by local PTI MPA Babar Saleem Swati and party office-bearers Dr Iftakhar Zaidi, Taimur Saleem and Kamal Saleem Swati, the CM’s aide said the Punjab government had banned the transportation of wheat and flour to KP in an attempt to create food insecurity in the province.

He said KP largely depended on wheat supply from Punjab.

CM’s aide says province has sufficient flour stocks

Mr Saif said the international monetary institutions and governments were reluctant to give loans to the ‘imported’ federal government triggering fears about higher inflation in the country. He said the ruling coalition had falsely promised inflation control and strengthening of the local currency before coming to power.

The CM’s aide complained that the US dollar’s rate was going up and up causing unprecedented increase in the prices of essential commodities.

He also alleged that the federal government was hampering the smooth functioning of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government by delaying the release of funds, including those meant for tribal districts.

INAUGURATED: MNA Salah Mohammad Khan on Friday inaugurated 132KV Chatterplan feeder during a special ceremony here.

Interestingly, adviser to the prime minister Amir Muqam will also attend a similar function today (Saturday).

Mr Salah reached the Chatterplan grid station along with former federal minister Azam Khan Swati amid sloganeering by PTI activists. He said the power project was completed with the funds allocated for him but the PML-N leaders were trying to claim credit for it.

FINED: The food department on Friday fined owners of several eateries and hotels in Balakot area for selling unhygienic food and beverages.

A joint team of the food and police departments led by assistant food controller Uzma Shah took action during a surprise visit to the markets and bazaars.

Published in Dawn, May 14th, 2022