Pakistan Flourmills Association has called off five-day long strike after assurance by the Federal Minister for Food and Agriculture, Nazar Muhammad Gondal to meet their demands and lift ban on movement of wheat in Sindh along with making foolproof arrangements at Pak-Afghan border for smooth passage of wheat by-products consignment.
The representatives of All Pakistan Flourmills Association announced this at a joint press conference with the Federal Minister for Food and Agriculture here on Monday. Addressing the press conference, the minister said that the representatives of all Pakistan Flourmills Association have decided to call off the strike after assurance by the government to provide all possible assistance in meeting their genuine demands.
He said that a proposal to increase atta and other wheat products' export to Afghanistan will be forwarded to government and decision in this regard would be taken by taking all the stakeholders into confidence. To a question, the minister stated that the government currently allowed flour millers to export 2,00,000 tons of wheat by-products to Afghanistan.
Gondal to a query said that the ban on wheat transportation by the Sindh government within the province is unconstitutional. He, however, added that the government of any province could restrict the movement of any product by utilising the district authorities in a certain area.
The meeting was attended by central chairman of All Pakistan Flourmills Association, Iqbal Dawood, Ali Khan chairman Punjab chapter, Naheem Butt chairman Khyber Paktoonkhawa chapter, Zahoor Agha chairman Balochistan chapter and Yousaf chairman Sindh chapter.
The representatives of the All Pakistan Flourmills Association alleged that the personnel of Frontier Corps (FC) were not allowing the wheat by-products consignments at Pak-Afghan Chaman border check post without greasing their palms.
They also alleged that the political agents are behind this saga at Pak-Afghan Torkhum border and their agents were not allowing the passage of the wheat by-products prior to paying Rs 90,000 per truck. They said they went on strike with these grievances and after the assurances of the federal government to do the needful has called off the strike.
According to Zahoor Agha Chairman Balochistan Flourmills Association, the flourmills of the province have been closed in protest against the ban on transportation of wheat from Sindh. He said that the Sindh government was not allowing the transportation of wheat inside and outside the province, which forced the flour millers of Balochistan province to go on strike.
Wheat is in abundance in the country; but, the people of Balochistan are being deprived of the benefits of bumper crop by putting ban on wheat transportation by the Sindh Government, Zahoor Agha said. He further said that due to ban the price of the commodity has gone up by Rs 3 per kg in Balochistan.
"The federal government will try to defuse all the wheat transportation related issue and today (Tuesday) I will hold a meeting with Sindh Chief Minister, Syed Qaim Ali Shah and the issue would also be discussed in the inter-provincial meeting" Nazar Muhammad said. He said, "If I could not resolve the matter with Sindh Chief Minister it would be taken up to the Prime Minister."
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