MIANWALI, May 2: The Punjab government has tasked the Punjab Highway Patrolling (PHP) police with checking wheat and flour smuggling to other provinces, PHP Deputy Inspector General Mian Muhammad Asif told reporters at Police Lines on Friday.

Mr Asif said the PHP had established 15 check posts at various points in Punjab, including four posts being manned by the Rangers.

He said three check posts were set up in Mianwali and at each post two officials of the Food Department remained present round-the-clock. He said that it could not be ruled out that wheat was being sent out of the district via Katcha Gujrat, downstream Chashma Barrage. He said the district police should be vigilant at the Katcha Gujrat check post.

He said people of Isakhel, living on the other side of the Jinnah check post, would get supply of flour but they should refrain from hoarding the commodity.

Mr Asif said mobile education units had been set up in other districts to educate people traveling on highways to follow traffic rules, particularly those operating on camels, donkey carts and tractor-trolleys, to fix reflectors at the back of their carts or vehicles so that fast moving vehicles might not hit them.

He said that such a unit would soon be set up in Mianwali to educate students and drivers. The DIG said the PHP would get powers to check traffic in future.