Punjab Information and Culture Minister Azma Bokhari has strongly refuted claims of any restriction on the supply of flour, terming the ongoing propaganda in this regard baseless and contrary to facts.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the minister clarified that the inter-provincial transportation of flour is continuing transparently through official permits, ensuring a clear and traceable record of all consignments being transported out of the province.
Azma Bokhari stressed that welfare of Punjab’s people remains the government’s top priority. Under the leadership of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, she said, the availability and affordability of flour for every citizen have been fully ensured. “This pro-people style of governance is what some elements find hard to digest,” she remarked.
The minister said that the Punjab government is utilizing taxpayers’ money to provide subsidized wheat to ensure public relief and avert any potential crisis during the dry months. Punjab currently possesses 8.85 lakh metric tons of wheat reserves, valued at around Rs 100 billion, which she said reflects the farsighted and organized policies of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz.
She further informed that flour mills are being supplied wheat at Rs 3,000 per maund to maintain steady availability and price stability in the market.
Commenting on the situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Azma Bokhari said that if the province’s flour demand has exceeded its production capacity, the KP government should release its own stored wheat or procure it from PASSCO. “Punjab cannot compromise its people’s right to affordable flour for the sake of another province’s political theatrics,” she asserted.
Highlighting that over 200 flour mills in KP are currently non-operational, she advised the KP Chief Minister to focus on reviving these mills instead of staging protests outside Adiala Jail, so that the people of his province can gain better access to flour.
The minister reiterated that no ban exists on the inter-provincial movement of wheat or flour, clarifying that under Article 18 of the Constitution and relevant laws, permits and digital monitoring have been made mandatory to prevent hoarding and profiteering.
She concluded by urging the KP government to procure wheat responsibly from PASSCO or international markets rather than engaging in political drama. “Political slogans and street theatrics do not feed people’s families – only sound governance and effective planning do,” Azma Bokhari said.