20kg flour bag being sold at Rs3,100 in Swabi.

SWABI -- Wheat flour crisis further deepened here in the district as its price jumped by Rs500 to Rs3,100 per 20-kilogram bag with traders saying flour supply from Punjab had been suspended.

Traders said on Monday two days ago the 20kg bag was available at Rs2,600 on the local market, but its price shot up to Rs3,100 as the mill owners jacked up the rate.

The consumers alleged the subsidised wheat flour was only distributed among the ruling PTI workers, and the utility stores usually remained short of commodity.

Rohal Amin, a resident of Topi city, said people were unable to get the basic staple to feed their families.

Shaukat Ali, a resident of Swabi district headquarters, claimed leading politicians and entrepreneurs were involved in flour smuggling to Afghanistan, and asked the government to takes steps for curbing the illegal practice to ease the crisis locally.

Mohammad Ali, president of Anjuman-i-Dokandaran, said they were...