The Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Pakistan Flour Mills Association Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chapter on Wednesday warned that restrictions on wheat movement from Punjab could trigger a serious flour crisis across the province. Business leaders said the supply disruption was already affecting flour availability and creating uncertainty for mill owners and consumers alike.
Speaking at a press conference in Peshawar, SCCI President Junaid Altaf and PFMA KP Chairman Naeem Butt criticised the transport restrictions and called them unconstitutional. They argued that the curbs violated Article 151 of Pakistan’s Constitution, which guarantees free trade and movement of goods between provinces without unnecessary barriers.
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Naeem Butt explained that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa requires nearly 53,000 metric tonnes of wheat every month but produces only around 12,000 metric tonnes locally. As a result, the province faces a shortfall of almost 41,000 metric tonnes, which is largely covered through wheat supplies transported from Punjab to flour mills across KP.
Furthermore, the flour mill representatives said more than 300 mills in the province were already facing operational problems because of interrupted wheat deliveries. They warned that if the restrictions continued, flour prices could rise sharply while shortages of flour and other wheat products could spread to different districts in the coming days.
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The business leaders also urged the federal government to allow provinces to independently import wheat if interprovincial supply restrictions were not removed immediately. Junaid Altaf stressed that federating units should have uninterrupted access to essential food commodities, adding that prolonged disruptions could damage businesses and increase pressure on ordinary consumers already struggling with inflation.
After the press conference, flour mill owners and chamber representatives staged a protest on GT Road and blocked traffic while chanting slogans against the restrictions. Demonstrators carrying banners and placards warned that they would expand the protest campaign across the province if authorities failed to restore smooth wheat transportation between Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.