Khyber Pakhtunkhwa [Pakistan], October 19 : Mounting criticism is being directed at Pakistani authorities as wheat stocks rot in government warehouses while flour prices continue to skyrocket across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, exposing deep cracks in the food management system, Dawn reported.
According to Dawn, civil society leaders from Upper and Lower Chitral have urged Chief Minister Sohail Afridi to take swift action and order the release of over 200,000 wheat bags lying unused in the food department's godowns for nearly two years. The activists warned that the neglected grain, stored in more than 18 warehouses, is worsening fast, with reports of termite infestation and decay.
Speaking at a press conference at the Chitral Press Club, social worker Farooq Ahmed, alongside former councillors Abdul Majeed Qureshi, Fakhruddin, and Mohammad Sabir, blamed government inaction for the crisis. They said that because wheat in official warehouses is priced higher than the market rate, it remains unsold and is now spoiling.
Ahmed added that not only the grain but also the storage sacks worth millions of PKR are becoming unusable. He recalled that a few years ago, tons of rotten wheat had to be dumped into the river due to the same administrative negligence.
The activists cautioned that with the onset of winter, if wheat is not sold at subsidised rates, the region could face a severe shortage of food once snowfall begins. They also appealed to the Peshawar High Court's chief justice to take notice of the alarming situation.
Meanwhile, traders in Mansehra's Oghi area complained that the Punjab government's ban on wheat and flour transportation to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has caused an unprecedented spike in prices. Mian Saifur Rehman, a trader's representative, stated that a 20 kg flour bag now costs PKR 3,000, up from PKR 1,700, forcing several flour mills in Hazara division to shut down. He accused hoarders of exploiting the crisis to extort consumers, Dawn reported.
In Swabi district, too, residents expressed concern about the rapid rise in flour prices, which jumped from PKR 1,500 to PKR 3,000 within a month. Daily wage workers said the government's inability to monitor prices or curb hoarding has worsened their plight, Dawn added.
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