- Kundi urges Punjab CM Maryam Nawaz to withdraw ‘discriminatory act’ immediately
- Punjab officials deny ban, citing hoarding, not floods, behind the crisis
PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi on Thursday strongly condemned the Punjab government’s reported ban on wheat supply to his province.
Kundi, who had last week voiced concern over the suspension of wheat supplies from Punjab, said the move violated the Constitution and undermined national unity. However, Punjab officials responsible for commodity supplies and price regulation denied imposing any such ban on inter-provincial wheat movement.
“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,” Kundi wrote on X.
Article 151 of the Constitution states that “trade, commerce, and intercourse throughout Pakistan shall be free,” though parliament may impose restrictions “in the public interest.”
Highlighting the impact of the restriction, the KP governor noted, “As a result, the price of a 20kg bag of flour has soared to around Rs1,200 in Punjab and up to Rs2,800 in KP—an unbearable burden on families already struggling with inflation. On behalf of the people of KP, I strongly condemn this discriminatory act and urge Chief Minister Punjab [Maryam Nawaz] to not only condemn but also immediately withdraw this verbal ban.”
Kundi stressed that food security must not be “compromised by provincial barriers,” urging the PTI-led KP government to “urgently provide wheat quotas to flour mills to stabilise prices and protect the rights of our people.”
On Wednesday, the KP Assembly unanimously passed a resolution denouncing Punjab’s “restrictions” on wheat supply, citing a 68 percent hike in flour prices across the province.
The sharp price surge is particularly evident in branded flour, with some millers raising the rate of a five-kilogram bag of fine flour to Rs700—up from Rs500 on August 1 and Rs600 on September 1—despite the arrival of the new wheat crop earlier this year.
The controversy surfaced earlier this month when the KP chapter of the All Pakistan Flour Mills Association accused Punjab of banning inter-provincial wheat movement, terming it “unconstitutional.”
Market observers, however, argue that the wheat crisis is not linked to recent floods in Punjab and elsewhere, since the new crop was harvested in March/April. Instead, they point to hoarders, stockists and investors holding back supplies in anticipation of further price hikes driven by demand-supply pressures.
On Tuesday, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz gave wheat hoarders a three-day grace period to voluntarily declare their stocks or face strict action.
Meanwhile, the federal government has unveiled a new roadmap under the National Wheat Policy and Wheat Management Strategy 2025-26 and beyond, designed to ensure long-term food security, protect farmers’ livelihoods, stabilise consumer prices, and build resilience against market disruptions and climate-induced emergencies.
