Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa is heading toward a severe food crisis due to the Punjab government’s restrictions on the movement of wheat and flour, warned the Pakistan Flour Mills Association (PFMA) KP.
Addressing a press conference, Chairman of PFMA KP, Muhammad Naeem Butt, said that the province requires approximately 5.2 million tonnes of wheat annually, but domestic production is only 1.2 million tonnes. The remaining supply is largely sourced from Punjab, which provides 75% of the country’s wheat. However, since August 25, Punjab has imposed an “unconstitutional and illegal” restriction on the inter-provincial transportation of wheat and flour.
Due to these restrictions, he said, nearly 80% of flour mills in KP have been forced to shut down, leaving only 20% operating by purchasing costly smuggled wheat from Punjab. As a result, wheat prices in K-P have skyrocketed, with the price of a 40 kg bag rising to Rs12,500—about Rs2,500 higher than in Punjab. Consequently, the cost of a 20-kilogram bag of flour has surged to Rs2,700, placing a heavy burden on low-income consumers.
He further alleged that wheat consignments destined for KP are being stopped at checkposts and diverted to mills in Punjab. He questioned the Punjab government’s claim that there is no ban on wheat transportation, pointing out the inconsistency between the claims and the actual restrictions on wheat movement.
The PFMA chairman warned that the flour milling industry in KP, once the province’s largest sector, faces the risk of complete closure if the situation is not resolved. He called for the formation of a joint committee to address the issues faced by flour mills nationwide. Despite multiple letters sent to both the Prime Minister and the Punjab Chief Minister, no responses had been received, he said.
