Flour famine looms over Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa as federal-provincial rift deepens

Peshawar [Pakistan], November 25 (ANI) The ongoing tussle between the federal and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) governments has plunged the province into a worsening flour crisis, with local markets witnessing unprecedented price hikes and flour mills on the brink of collapse. The halt in wheat and flour supply from Punjab, now stretching beyond three weeks, has triggered chaos across K-P's food supply chain, as reported by The Express Tribune.

According to The Express Tribune, until recently, a 20-kilogram flour bag cost PKR 1,400, but within days it surged to PKR 2,100 and now sells for up to PKR 2,900.

The price of refined white flour has also jumped from PKR 1,800 to PKR 3,200. Despite this alarming trend, the provincial government remains preoccupied with internal political wrangling, taking no tangible steps to address the crisis or formulate an alternative supply plan. Rehan Afridi, a trader from Jamrud who runs a clothing business in Peshawar's Firdous Market, expressed outrage over the sudden price escalation.

He said, "Last month, I bought two 20-kg flour bags for PKR 3,000. This week, the same quantity costs over Rs5,500. Flour and ghee are essential goods, and their soaring prices have shattered our family budgets."

Nabi Jan, a Suzuki driver from Chamakni, also voiced frustration, noting that warehouses in both rural and urban markets are stocked with flour, yet the government has failed to act.

"The administration could easily purchase these stocks and offer subsidised rates to the poor, but they remain indifferent," he stated. Industry experts warn that 90 per cent of K-P's flour mills have already halted operations. Naeem Butt, Chairman of the Pakistan Flour Mills Association, K-P, said the ban on wheat and flour movement from Punjab has crippled the industry.

He emphasised that the province's annual requirement of 5.3 million metric tonnes is far beyond its production capacity of 1.2 million tonnes, as cited by The Express Tribune.

Traders are now threatening a province-wide strike if bread prices are not adjusted. Meanwhile, former finance minister Taimur Jhagra accused the federal government of withholding critical NFC Award arrears and FATA's special funds, a political impasse that continues to starve K-P's citizens of basic sustenance, as reported by The Express Tribune. (ANI)

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