Flour movement out of Peshawar banned as price soars.

PESHAWAR/KOHAT -- The Peshawar administration strictly restricted the movement of wheat and wheat flour out of the district for 30 days as the price of the commodities further soared in the provincial metropolis on Saturday.

The district administration imposed the section 144 in order to avoid any possible shortage of the flour. 'Anyone contravening this order is liable to be proceeded against under section 188 of PPC,' according to a statement issued from the office of deputy commissioner Mohammad Ali Asghar.

The ban was imposed following a suggestion of the director food that shortage of wheat and flour was likely to be created in Peshawar due to its illegal movement out of the district.

Kohat region hit by flour shortage after Punjab ban on wheat transportation

'If movement of wheat and wheat flour is not checked, it is likely to create a crisis-like situation in the district and cause hardship to the public at large and might lead to law and order situation,' the statement said.

Meanwhile, it was observed that a 20kg bag of mixed wheat flour, which was available for Rs840 on Friday, was sold at Rs920 in the wholesale market on Saturday.

The fine flour price on Friday was Rs980 but it increased to Rs1,050 a day after. The 80kg bag, which was available for Rs4,000, was now selling at Rs4,500.

Consumers told Dawn that in the suburban localities the shopkeepers were charging the price on their own free will.

Provincial minister for information Shaukat Yousufzai told Dawn that he had personally brought the issue into notice of Prime Minister Imran Khan, who had directed the Punjab government to withdraw its order regarding ban on movement of wheat and wheat flour.

Chief Minister Mahmood Khan, he said had also taken notice of the reports and directed the authorities concerned to resolve the issue at the earliest.

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