PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Muhammad Sohail Afridi has strongly condemned the Punjab Government’s move to restrict the transportation of wheat and wheat flour, terming it a blatant violation of the Constitution and an attack on the rights of the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Presiding over a meeting of the Food Department at the Chief Minister’s Secretariat on Wednesday, the Chief Minister directed the department to write a formal letter to the Punjab Government, demanding the immediate removal of all restrictions and ensuring the free movement of wheat and flour across provincial borders.
Afridi said that using political differences to deprive citizens of basic necessities was unacceptable and contrary to the spirit of national unity. He also instructed the Food Department to take strict action against hoarding and ensure the availability of essential commodities at government-fixed rates.
The Chief Minister further directed the immediate registration of all warehouses across the province to improve monitoring and prevent artificial shortages.
During the meeting, officials briefed the Chief Minister on the province’s current wheat and sugar stocks and prevailing market prices. The Food Department informed that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s annual wheat and flour consumption stands at around 5.3 million metric tons, of which only 1.5 million metric tons are produced locally.
The remaining requirement is met through supplies from Punjab and other provinces. Currently, around 273,000 metric tons of wheat are available in godowns across KP.
Officials noted that the recent increase in flour prices was primarily due to Punjab’s restrictions on the movement of wheat and flour to KP.
Regarding sugar, it was informed that the province’s annual requirement is approximately one million tons, with 30 percent for domestic use and 70 percent for commercial consumption. At present, 480,000 metric tons of sugar are available in stock across the province.
