Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Minister for Food Zahir Shah Toru has condemned the Punjab, Pakistan government’s decision to restrict the movement of wheat and flour to KP, calling it an attempt to manufacture an artificial shortage.
According to Minister Toru, hundreds of trucks carrying wheat and flour for KP millers and distributors have been stopped at Attock and other checkpoints along the provincial border. The disruption has driven the price of a 20-kilogram flour bag to about $10, placing added strain on consumers already facing high food costs.
Toru said Punjab’s actions contradict Article 151 of Pakistan’s Constitution, which guarantees the free movement of goods between provinces. He noted that KP relies on Punjab, the Pakistan Agricultural Storage and Services Corporation (PASSCO), and imports to meet roughly 83 percent of its wheat and flour demand.
Despite the national wheat stock exceeding 33 million metric tons and Punjab holding more than it requires, Toru stated that the current restrictions are both unnecessary and unconstitutional.
The minister called on the federal government to intervene and restore the flow of grain between provinces to maintain food supply stability and uphold cooperative trade practices. He also urged citizens and media outlets to speak out against policies that he described as harmful to the nation’s food security and economic balance.