RAWALPINDI: The Pakistan Flour Mills Association has condemned the Punjab Food Department’s suspension of wheat permits for Islamabad mills, warning that the move is disrupting supply, encouraging black marketing and may force mills in Rawalpindi and Islamabad to shut down, says a press release.
In a statement on Monday, the association said the department’s measures were promoting corruption and inflation instead of ensuring smooth supply. Since Islamabad’s establishment, flour mills in the I-9 and I-10 industrial areas have met the needs of the twin cities. The Rawalpindi Food Department has historically regulated these mills and issued wheat permits for local consumption.
The association said the Punjab Food Department had registered Islamabad mills on its wheat permit portal and supervised them through Rawalpindi. However, it has now stopped issuing permits to Islamabad mills, citing procedural issues. This has created severe anxiety among millers and halted flour supply to the federal capital.
The association demanded: 1) immediate resumption of wheat permits for Islamabad mills from wheat-producing districts; 2) restoration of portal access so mills can obtain permits automatically as per requirement, which would curb corruption; and 3) removal of unnecessary obstacles in wheat transportation.
