Flour prices go up in Hazara as Punjab yet to lift ban

MANSEHRA: The prices of wheat flour surged to an all-time high across the Hazara division as the ban on the transportation of the commodity imposed by the Punjab government last month is yet to be lifted.

“The Punjab government has been taking advantage of the situation and doesn’t lift the curbs imposed by it on the transportation of wheat flour resulting in a 20kg bag being sold for over Rs1,700,” said Shahzad Bashir, the owner of a general store, on Saturday.

The price of fine quality wheat flour has surged to Rs1,680 per 20kg bag and the double super quality to Rs1,580 in the local markets.

“Would you believe the fine quality wheat flour’s price has spiked to Rs1,780 from Rs1,400 in remote parts of the division,” Shahzad Bashir said.

The Punjab government had banned the transportation of wheat flour into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa following the line of the federal government that the commodity was being smuggled into neighbouring Afghanistan from the province, which the latter denied vehemently.

“The situation on the ground is far grim and might cause further surge in the prices,” said Malik Muzaffar, the chairman of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Flour Mills Association.

He said that though the KP government had also fixed the subsidised price of a 20 kg wheat flour bag as Rs980, it could only be ensured regularly if the current wheat quota to millers was increased.

“The government is going to release the 2,000 tonnes of wheat quota to the millers across KP from Monday (June 13) and each mill would supply the subsidised wheat flour in markets,” Muzaffar said.

He added that the government should enhance the announced quota of 2000 tonnes to cater to market demand.