By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: The governor of northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Monday appealed to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to intervene and lift what he called “unconstitutional restrictions” on wheat supplies from Punjab, warning of risks to food security amid soaring prices.
Faisal Karim Kundi said in a letter to the premier that the curbs were disrupting supplies to the wheat-deficient province, potentially sparking artificial shortages and public hardship. “Such limitations not only affect the province’s food security but also go against the spirit of cooperative federalism enshrined in our Constitution,” Kundi wrote in a post on social media platform X, where he shared the letter.
He expressed confidence that the matter would be resolved promptly “under the prime minister’s leadership”. The letter described the restrictions as a “serious concern”, noting that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa “depends substantially on inter-provincial inflows to meet its essential food requirements”. It argued that the measures violated Article 151 of the Constitution, which guarantees freedom of trade, commerce and intercourse among the provinces.
“Any disruption in supply risks creating artificial shortages, price escalation and public hardship,” the letter said. “It has further been observed that these limitations are unintentionally encouraging illegal and informal transportation of wheat through alternate means and routes, which is resulting in uncontrollable supply distortions in the open market. This diversion is causing [a] rapid escalation in wheat and flour prices, directly burdening the general public and potentially triggering unwarranted public resentment.”
Kundi requested Sharif’s “kind and immediate intervention in this matter and direction to the concerned authorities” to withdraw the restrictions and ensure the “uninterrupted and legally protected movement of wheat” into the province.”I remain confident that, under your leadership, the constitutional rights of the people of KP will be safeguarded effectively and without delay,” he said.
The appeal comes amid mounting criticism from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh against Punjab’s controls on wheat movement, introduced after recent floods to curb price hikes within Punjab through a permit regime. Punjab officials have denied a formal ban but acknowledged checkpoints to monitor “unusual” wheat movement.
Kundi had earlier condemned the reported ban on September 7 and 8.”The arbitrary ban imposed on August 31, 2025, by the Government of Punjab on the supply of wheat and flour to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is a blatant violation of Article 151 of the Constitution and a serious breach of national unity,” he said on X on September 8. “As a result, the price of a 20kg bag of flour has soared to approximately Rs 1,200 in Punjab and up to Rs 2,800 in KP — an unbearable burden on families already struggling with inflation.”
On September 7, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly unanimously passed a resolution denouncing Punjab’s “restrictions” on wheat supply, amid claims of a 68 percent hike in flour prices across the province. The federal government approved a national wheat policy earlier this month, with a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office saying stakeholders were briefed that there would be no restriction on inter-provincial wheat movement.
Copyright © 2021 Independent Pakistan | All rights reserved
