Karachi, the financial and commercial hub of Pakistan, is likely to face massive shortage of wheat flour shortage as mills have stopped grinding.
The flour millers in Sindh province have resorted to close down their mills on Thursday evening after a press conference.
Earlier in the day, the flour mills conducted the press conference.
In Karachi, the city with a population of 30 million, the flour mills are facing a serious crisis. As wheat is not grown in the city, it is supplied from Sindh and Punjab to fulfill the necessary requirements. However, due to the recent check-posts established by the Department of Food, Sindh, the situation has worsened.
According to reports, the check-posts have broken all previous records of corruption and bribery in the wheat supply chain. In order to transport wheat to Karachi, each mill owner has to pay a bribe of one lakh rupees, leading to an increase in the cost of wheat and ultimately resulting in a hike in the price of flour. The current rate of wheat in Sindh is 10,400 rupees per 100 kg, while in Karachi, it is being sold at 11,800 rupees per 100 kg.
As a result of the corruption, people in Karachi are now forced to buy expensive flour, which is causing a burden on their budgets. In addition, 50% of the flour mills in the city have already been shut down due to the crisis, and more are expected to close soon, leading to a further shortage of flour.
Chaudhry Aamir Abdullah, Chairman of the Pakistan Flour Mills Association, has demanded that the check-posts be immediately removed and that the government provide free-hand for wheat supply to Karachi without any restrictions. He has also demanded that the ban on wheat imports from other countries be lifted to ease the crisis.
If these demands are not met, the flour mills may have to go on an indefinite strike, which would further exacerbate the situation. The government needs to take immediate action to resolve the wheat flour crisis in Karachi before it leads to a full-blown food crisis.
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