ISLAMABAD: Slamming bureaucracy for its utter failure in ensuring fair prices to consumers by nabbing the exploiters, the flour millers have asked the government to allow the import of wheat as it is available at cheaper rates due to the arrival of fresh crops.

Addressing a news conference on Saturday, Pakistan Flour Mills Association, Punjab Chapter, Chairman Asim Raza Ahmed slammed the traders and bureaucracy, whom he called the exploiters for raising the price of wheat within a few hours after the news of bumper wheat crop broke out.

He said that wheat was currently cheap on the international markets due to the arrival of fresh crops whereas it was getting expensive in Pakistan.

“There is no smuggling to Afghanistan, it is the wrong and unfair notion and the bureaucracy is deceiving the whole nation,” he said, adding that the official reports were categorising the movement of wheat from one city to another city in Punjab as smuggling.

Responding to a query if the food department officials were to be blamed for the high prices of wheat flour in the country, Mr Raza said, “Yes. Our problems cannot be solved unless the bureaucracy stops extending a free hand to market exploiters who are running their unfair businesses without any fear.”

“The best solution is to import wheat this will hit the hoarders and the consumers will get cheaper flour,” Mr Raza suggested.

The flour miller also demanded that the government should allow free transportation of wheat, flour and other by-products throughout Pakistan.

They said that not only the flour mills but even the general public were facing financial trouble as well as accessibility issues related to wheat flour – which was the basic diet in Pakistan.

Vice-Chairman Syed Raza Shah highlighted that wheat flour was not available in Peshawar even at Rs180 per kg and there is a shortage of flour even now after the arrival of fresh wheat crop and more than 130 flour mills in Rawalpindi alone have been closed.

He added that as the country was suffering from political instability the wheat flour crisis was created by the hoarders themselves to exploit the situation and make windfalls.

He, however, warned that the situation will become irreversible if urgent steps are not taken by the government.

Published in Dawn, May 7th, 2023