The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chapter of Pakistan Flour Mills Association (PFMA) has expressed serious concern over the current wheat shortage in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the situation of government reserves.
According to a press release issued here on Saturday, the concern was expressed during an emergency meeting of the association held with its Chairman Muhammad Naeem Butt in the Chair. The meeting also attended by senior leaders of flour mills from different districts of the province, adds the press release.
Chairman Muhammad Naeem Butt apprised participants of the overall wheat situation in the country and said that at present the new crop has arrived in Punjab and Sindh and there are ample wheat reserves.
He said that every year during these days, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa flour mills had been buying cheap wheat from the open market of Punjab, but this year, despite abundant reserves, there was a practical ban on the shipment of wheat from Punjab to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which was a clear violation of Article 151 of the Constitution.
The meeting also expressed concern that despite repeated assurances from the federal government, the ground realities are different as check posts have been set up in Punjab in the name of monitoring, where trucks loaded with wheat are allegedly allowed to pass after taking a huge bribe, while in case of non-payment of bribe, an FIR is registered against the trucks and the wheat is unloaded in government warehouses.
Pakistan Flour Mills Association Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has appealed to the Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to take immediate and practical steps to ensure the end of these unconstitutional and illegal restrictions of the Punjab government.
The meeting warned that if these obstacles in the supply of wheat continue, the supply of flour in the province will be severely affected, which will result in an increase in prices and the people will have to face difficulties.
The participants of the meeting further said that if the supply of wheat to the flour mills is not restored, there is a risk of closure of the mills, which will make thousands of workers unemployed.