Rawalpindi : Pakistan Flour Mills Association strongly protests against the closure of wheat permits by the Punjab Food Department (PFD) of flour mills in Islamabad and Rawalpindi divisions, says a press release.
Speaking at an emergency meeting chaired by Chairman Punjab Riazullah Khan, the flour mill owners said that two days ago, flour mill owners across the division had protested against the registration of unjustified FIRs and cases against flour mill owners by the PFD, in response to which the Punjab Food Department has closed permits for bringing wheat from the production areas of flour mills in Islamabad and Rawalpindi divisions.
The PFD is taking such steps on a daily basis under some pretext or the other that make wheat expensive and as a result flour expensive. The Food Department is creating obstacles in the arrival of legal wheat to Rawalpindi and is taking such steps that increase public difficulties.
Flour Mills Association representatives including former Vice Chairman Raza Ahmed Shah, Tariq Farooq Sethi, Khawaja Muhammad Saleem, Khawaja Muhammad Ishaq, Ahmed Aziz Bilour, Mirza Atif Nadeem, Khawaja Imran, Sanaullah Durrani added that the PML-N government has always focused on providing cheap bread to the people, but the officers of the current department are taking steps against the government policy.
The association representatives appealed to Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz for immediate intervention and said that the delivery of wheat should be ensured for the food security of the people of the federal capital and Rawalpindi division.
The flour millers further said that if the PFD does not take steps to improve the situation and restore the delivery of wheat, the flour mills of Islamabad and Rawalpindi will be forced to close their business.
