Nanbais down shutters, push KP govt for higher roti price.

Byline: Ali Hazrat Bacha

PESHAWAR -- Nanbais observed a shutter down strike in different parts of the province, including Peshawar, on Monday against an increase in the price of wheat flour and announced that they would continue the strike until the government increased the price of roti in line with the flour's market rate.

While four nanbais were arrested in Hayatabad area.

The administration of Peshawar continued provision of the flour from local mills through trucks in different parts of Peshawar where the people queued up in large numbers to purchase the 20kg flour bag for Rs808.

In a statement, food minister Qalandar Lodhi claimed that there was no flour crisis or shortage in the province.

He said Chief Minister Mahmood Khan was 'personally supervising the situation to facilitate consumers'.

Minister denies flour crisis, says checking of hoarding, profiteering ordered

The minister said the food department had a stock of over 0.4 million tons wheat, while the government increased the daily quota of flour mills up to 5,000 tons to control the increasing flour price.

He said flour supply from Punjab had been restored, while the district administrations had strictly been directed to check hoarding and profiteering across the province.

Mr Lodhi said the government had offered nanbais the provision of flour at subsidised rate but even then, the latter went on strike, so the protest was unjustified.

He said the government couldn't overburden the residents to benefit few people by increasing roti price.

The minister claimed that the government had started begun the supply of flour from local mills at the controlled rate to the people's doorstep in all districts through trucks and mobile vans and that the people were happy with the initiative.

Meanwhile, deputy commissioner of Peshawar Mohammad Ali Asghar visited parts of the provincial capital and warned that strict action would be taken if anyone was found to be forcing nanbais to pull down shutters. A spokesman for the district administration claimed that 40 per cent of the nanbai shops in the provincial capital were open, while security was promised to them for smooth business.

He said nanbais had been arrested for forcing others to go on strike and that the administration would continue to detain violators of the law.

Presidents of both factions of the Nanbai Associations, Peshawar, Haji Mohammad Iqbal and Khaista Gul, claimed that the strike was successful and that it would continue for...