A severe flour crisis has hit Islamabad and Rawalpindi following the Punjab Food Department’s decision to ban wheat supplies to local mills. In response, the Flour Mills Association has announced a complete suspension of flour supply to both cities starting Monday.
The association cancelled all existing orders for flour, fine flour, and wheat, leading to immediate market shortages. The twin cities, which are non-wheat-producing regions, rely entirely on supplies from Punjab’s wheat-producing districts.
This supply crisis compounds existing tensions over soaring flour prices. The Pakistan Naanbai Association has reported that the cost of a flour sack has doubled over the past 18 months.
Read: Flour Prices Surge in Twin Cities Amid Punjab’s Wheat Ban
The association’s president, Shafiq Qureshi, stated that the price of a 79-kilogram sack of red flour has surged from Rs 5,500 to Rs 11,000. He criticised the government’s price enforcement, claiming tandoor owners face relentless oppression through fines, arbitrary closures, and even demolitions.
Qureshi declared that the system of costly flour and cheap bread is unsustainable. The association has called for an immediate meeting of the Price Control Committee to adjust official bread prices in line with the actual cost of flour.
The Flour Mills Association has warned that if wheat permits are not resumed immediately, the supply suspension will continue, potentially escalating into a full-blown food crisis in the capital region.
