Balochistan Assembly Members Raise Alarm Over Artificial Wheat Shortage and Soaring Flour Prices

Quetta: Members of the Balochistan Assembly have expressed serious concern over what they described as an artificial wheat shortage and the sharp increase in flour prices across Quetta and several other districts, blaming the provincial government and the Food Department for mismanagement and administrative failure.

Speaking separately, MPA Zarak Khan Mandokhail, JUI-F lawmaker Fazal Qadir Mandokhail, National Party MPA Rehmat Saleh Baloch, and Opposition Leader Mir Younis Aziz Zehri said the government’s negligence has forced poor families to buy a 20-kilogram bag of flour for as much as Rs2,500, despite widespread unemployment and rising inflation.

The lawmakers said timely and effective measures could have prevented the crisis, adding that both the public and flour mill owners are now facing severe difficulties. They warned that the situation has worsened in remote districts and rural areas, where flour has become scarce or unavailable.

According to the legislators, the flour shortage has affected Quetta, Pishin, Chaman, Qila Abdullah, Harnai, Sibi, Ziarat, Loralai, Dukki, Musa Khel, Qila Saifullah, Zhob, Sherani, Barkhan, Kohlu, and several other districts. They claimed that the price of a 20-kilogram flour bag has reached Rs2,500, while 50-kilogram and 100-kilogram bags are being sold for over Rs7,000 and Rs12,000, respectively.

The assembly members also alleged that hoarders are taking advantage of the situation by further driving up prices. They called on the provincial government to take immediate steps to end the wheat crisis, ensure the emergency supply of flour across the province, reduce flour prices, and launch a transparent investigation against those responsible for creating the artificial shortage and administrative negligence.