Federal Government Directs Punjab to Remove Obstacles in Wheat and Flour Supply to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Peshawar: The federal government has directed the Punjab government to immediately remove obstacles in the supply of wheat and flour to other provinces, including Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa).
According to official sources, the Ministry of National Food Security has provided a WhatsApp number to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government, where flour and wheat dealers can share videos and images in case of any obstruction during transportation from Punjab.
Sources said the decision to address disruptions in wheat and flour supply to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was taken in a high-level meeting attended by Federal Minister for National Food Security Rana Tanveer Hussain and food secretaries from all four provinces.
The meeting was also attended by KP Finance Adviser Muzammil Aslam, Opposition Leader in the KP Assembly Dr. Ibadullah, and Chief Secretary Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Shahab Ali Shah.
According to sources, the KP Chief Secretary informed the meeting that he had repeatedly raised concerns with the federal government and the Punjab Chief Secretary regarding restrictions on wheat and flour transportation. He added that the KP government, opposition, and governor were all aligned on the issue of the wheat crisis.
On the other hand, the Punjab Food Secretary stated that no restrictions had been imposed on wheat or flour movement. In response, the KP Chief Secretary questioned why flour prices had increased in the province if no such restrictions existed.
Federal Minister Rana Tanveer Hussain directed that all barriers to the supply of wheat and flour to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa be removed immediately.
KP Finance Adviser Muzammil Aslam told Geo News that the Punjab government was informed in the meeting that, constitutionally, it cannot impose restrictions on the inter-provincial movement of wheat and flour. He also noted that the price of a 100kg flour bag in Balochistan is lower than in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
He added that the federal government has assured resolution of the issue, and once restrictions are lifted, uninterrupted supply of wheat and flour to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will resume.
