PESHAWAR, April 14: The Bread Bakers Association Peshawar on Monday withdrew the strike call after holding successful negotiations with the officials of the food department.

An official of the food department told Dawn that a meeting between the association’s office-bearers led by its president Mohammad Iqbal and the provincial secretary of the food department Hifzur Rahman was held here in which the bakers association agreed to withdraw the strike call. The association had threatened to observe a shutter-down strike from Tuesday if the government failed to provide them wheat flour at subsidised rates.

The food department officials assured the bakers that they would be provided 1,700 bags of flour on daily basis. As per the subsidised rate an 85 kg sack of flour would be provided to them at Rs1,460.

A bag of 20kg flour, the officials said, would be provided to the people at Rs320. The bakers were assured that they would get the flour regularly at the subsidised rates.

The bakers were asked to maintain proper weight of the bread and ensure smooth supply of roti to the consumers.

Our Correspondent adds from Abbottabad: Nanbais have said that due to shortage of flour and its high prices in the market is forcing them to either close down their businesses or increase the price of the roti (bread).

They demanded of the NWFP government to allocate a certain quota of flour to the tandoors (ovens) so that their business could continue.

Ishaque Qureshi, former vice-chairman of the Nanbai Association, told Dawn here on Monday that a meeting would be held on Tuesday to decide future strategy in this regard.