“Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa is a wheat-deficient province and is substantially dependent on inter-provincial inputs”
KP Governor Faisal Karim Kundi. Photo: Archive
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi wrote to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, urging his “immediate intervention” against what he called “unconstitutional restrictions” on inter-provincial movement of wheat into the province.
Kundi said the restrictions “prima facie contravene Article 151 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, which explicitly guarantees freedom of exchange and relations between provinces.”
The Punjab government’s decision to restrict inter-provincial movement of wheat has drawn harsh criticism from the KP and Sindh governments, who accuse it of choking wheat supply to their provinces.
Read: Seed supply disruption in Punjab threatens wheat crisis
In a post today on social media platform
Floods and aftermath in Punjab
Following recent floods, Punjab introduced a permit-based system to control the movement of wheat and flour, saying it was aimed at curbing price increases within the province.
On September 7, Kundi condemned reports of a ban in Punjab, saying the measures had raised flour prices to around Rs 1,200 per 20kg bag in Punjab and up to Rs 2,800 in KP, placing an “unbearable burden on families already struggling with inflation”. The KP Assembly unanimously passed a resolution denouncing the restrictions and highlighting a 68 percent increase in flour prices. A national wheat policy approved earlier this month also clarified that inter-provincial movement would not be restricted.
Despite this, the KP government wrote to Punjab on October 23, warning that the restrictions were disrupting supply chains, increasing prices and threatening food security. The province is heavily dependent on Punjab for wheat supply, which requires approximately 14,500 tonnes per day. While Punjab allocated 2,000 tonnes under a permit system, KP said the quota was insufficient.
The issue was raised at a high-level meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on October 17, where KP and Flour Mills Association officials warned that stock shortages could worsen if restrictions continued.
Sindh PPP leaders also criticized Punjab for limiting the supply of wheat seeds. Last week, the KP chief minister reiterated that the restrictions violated the Constitution and the rights of the people of the province, and ordered officials to demand the immediate removal of all barriers to ensure the free movement of wheat and flour.
Read more: Government finalizes wheat procurement plan
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa consumes about 5.3 million tonnes of wheat and flour annually, producing only 1.5 million tonnes locally, with the rest coming from Punjab and other provinces.
Flour millers and KP officials have expressed concern that the move violates constitutional rights and a recent deregulation agreement. However, Punjab authorities denied imposing a formal ban but acknowledged they had set up checkpoints to monitor what they described as “unusual” movement of wheat.
However, during a press conference yesterday, Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari dismissed reports of any ban, calling such claims “baseless and misleading” in a press conference on Sunday.
Kundi warned that “such trade restrictions are encouraging illegal trade and hoarding within the province, further deepening the shortage,” adding that “Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa is a wheat-deficient province and is substantially dependent on inter-provincial flows to meet its essential food needs.”
