People rally against price hike in several cities of KP.

SWAT -- People in various cities of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Sunday held protest demonstrations against rising prices of flour and other essential commodities and asked the government to take immediate steps to control prices and ensure availability of daily use food items.

In Swat, the protesters in Khwazakhela and Mingora took to the streets despite rain against the record hike in prices of essential food commodities. The local traders federation urged Chief Minister Mahmood Khan to increase the flour quota for Swat.

They said flour prices touched a record high in Swat where 20kg flour bag had reached Rs3,200. They said the people were worried about the flour crisis and needed immediate relief.

They said prices of all the daily use items had gone out the people's reach. They said the wheat supplied to the local mills was of inferior quality. Swat traders federation president Abdul Rahim warned that if steps were not taken to control inflation the traders would be forced to call for big protests across Malakand division.

Ask govt to ensure availability of food commodities at reasonable rates

In Charsadda, despite rain the people of Tarnab area came out on streets against skyrocketing prices of wheat flour and other food items.

The protesters demanded the government to control inflation and provide relief to the people. Abid Jan of Tarnab, Altaf Khan, Fazal Amin and others spoke on the occasion.

In Khyber, scores of tribesmen, including political activists, held a demonstration against price hike at Bacha Khan Chowk in the main Landi Kotal Bazaar.

Addressing the protesters, Kalimullah, Manzoor Khan and others accused the federal and provincial governments of their failure to control rising prices of essential commodities and ensure their availability in most parts of merged districts.

They demanded increase in flour quota for the residents of Landi Kotal along with a crackdown on hoarders and profiteers. They also urged the local administration to ensure availability of essential commodities at the local utility stores.

In Lower Dir, Jamaat-i-Islami workers on the...