Ban on inter-district wheat movement challenged by flour mills.

KARACHI -- The Sindh High Court has issued notices to the provincial food authorities and other respondents on a petition impugning a ban on inter-district movement of wheat.

The Pakistan Flour Mills Association along with three flour mills operating in the provincial capital petitioned the SHC and contended that Karachi division was not a wheat growing area and the petitioners along with around 90 other Karachi-based mills were exclusively dependent on the supply of wheat from other districts of Sindh and other provinces.

Impleading the home secretary, food secretary and director, inspector general of police and commissioners of six divisions of Sindh as respondents, the petitioners submitted that food department had fixed the procurement target for itself at 1.4 million tonnes to avoid any shortage.

While making a policy statement on the floor of the provincial assembly, minister for food had recently stated that target of 1.4 million tonnes had been achieved and that the government had imported 400,000 tonnes of wheat.

The counsel for the petitioners argued that after the statement of food minister, there was no justification to keep the ban on inter-district and inter-provincial movement of wheat and the same was illegal, unlawful and unconstitutional. The two-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Ahmed Ali M. Shaikh issued notices to the respondents as well as provincial law officer for May 31.

Meanwhile, the coordination committee of the Muttahida Qaumi MoveAment-Pakistan on ThursAday in a statement expreAssed its resentment over a shortage and skyrocketing price of flour in the city.

It maintained that the provincial food department broke all past records of administrative incompetence and corruption as the price of flour in provincial metropolis...