Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi on Thursday strongly criticized the Punjab government’s reported restrictions on the interprovincial supply of wheat, calling it unconstitutional and damaging to national unity.
He said the alleged “arbitrary ban” imposed on August 31 by Punjab violated Article 151 of the Constitution, which guarantees freedom of trade and commerce across Pakistan, except when limited by Parliament in the public interest.
Kundi highlighted the impact of the restrictions on ordinary people, noting that the price of a 20kg bag of flour has surged from around Rs1,200 in Punjab to as high as Rs2,800 in KP.
Calling it an “unbearable burden” on already struggling families, he urged Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz to withdraw what he termed as a verbal ban on wheat supply. He further stressed that food security should not be compromised by provincial barriers and urged KP’s own government to immediately allocate wheat quotas to flour mills in order to stabilize prices.
The KP Assembly has already passed a unanimous resolution denouncing Punjab’s alleged restrictions amid reports of a 68 percent increase in flour prices in the province. The cost of branded flour has sharply risen, with some millers raising prices of a 5kg fine flour bag from Rs500 in early August to Rs700 by early September, despite the recent wheat harvest.
Punjab officials, however, have denied the existence of any ban. They claim the supply of wheat and flour remains unrestricted and that provincial authorities are instead working to curb hoarding and profiteering.
Earlier this week, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz announced a three-day grace period for wheat hoarders to disclose their stocks or face strict action.
Meanwhile, the federal government has introduced a long-term “National Wheat Policy and Wheat Management Strategy 2025–26” aimed at ensuring food security, stabilizing the market, and building resilience against future disruptions, including climate-related emergencies.
