Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Finance Advisor Muzammil Aslam has strongly criticized the policies of the Punjab government and the federal government regarding wheat and flour prices.
In recent statements, he has termed the Punjab government’s performance as “poor” and said that the entire country is suffering its punishment. Muzammil Aslam says that the Punjab government is claiming that it is releasing wheat at Rs 3,000 per maund, but in reality, wheat is not available in the market even at Rs 4,600 per maund.
He asked the Punjab government where the $10 kg bag of flour (which should claimed was available for Rs 900) they claimed is available in Punjab? According to him, this is just a “hollow claim”.
The Finance Advisor demanded that the account of who had purchased wheat from a poor farmer at the rate of Rs 2,200 per maund should be given first. He alleged that the sugar and flour mafia have been given free rein in the PML-N government.
Wheat was purchased cheaply from farmers and stored, and now it is being sold at high prices. According to Muzammil Aslam, the market rate of flour is determined by Punjab.
Today, the price of a 20 kg bag of flour has reached Rs 2,800 in Pindi, Islamabad, Attock, and Peshawar. He clarified that the full responsibility for the black market in flour and the rising prices lies with the federal and Punjab governments.
Muzammil Aslam warned that despite the abundance of wheat in the country, the common man is not getting flour cheaply due to the patronage of the mafia. He said that until the farmer is rewarded for his hard work, and action is taken against hoarders.
