‘Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa is a wheat-deficient province, depends substantially on inter-provincial inflows’
K-P Governor Faisal Karim Kundi. Photo: File
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi has written to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, urging his “immediate intervention” against what he termed “unconstitutional restrictions” on the inter-provincial movement of wheat to 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 trade, commerce and intercourse among the provinces.”
The Punjab government’s decision to restrict inter-provincial wheat movement has drawn sharp criticism from the K-P and Sindh governments, who accuse it of choking wheat supplies to their provinces.
Read: Punjab seed supply halt threatens wheat crisis
In a post on social media platform X today, Governor Kundi shared his letter to the prime minister, urging his “immediate intervention to lift the unconstitutional restrictions” and highlighting their impact on food security and cooperative federalism.
Floods and aftermath in Punjab
Following recent floods, Punjab introduced a permit-based system to control the movement of wheat and flour, saying it aimed to curb price hikes within the province.
On September 7, Kundi had condemned reports of a Punjab ban, saying the measures had pushed flour prices to around Rs1,200 per 20kg bag in Punjab and up to Rs2,800 in K-P, placing an “unbearable burden on families already struggling with inflation.” The K-P Assembly unanimously passed a resolution denouncing the restrictions and highlighting a 68 per cent hike in flour prices. A national wheat policy approved earlier this month also clarified that inter-provincial movement would not be restricted.
Despite this, the K-P government wrote to Punjab on October 23, warning that the curbs were disrupting supply chains, increasing prices, and threatening food security. The province relies heavily on Punjab for wheat supplies, requiring roughly 14,500 tonnes per day. While Punjab allocated 2,000 tonnes under a permit system, K-P said the quota was insufficient.
The issue was raised at a high-level meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on October 17, where K-P officials and the Flour Mills Association warned that stock shortages could worsen if the restrictions continued.
Sindh’s PPP leadership also criticised Punjab for limiting the supply of wheat seed. Last week, the K-P chief minister reiterated that the restrictions violated the Constitution and the rights of the province’s people, directing officials to demand the immediate removal of all barriers to ensure free movement of wheat and flour.
Read More: Govt finalises wheat procurement plan
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa consumes around 5.3 million tonnes of wheat and flour annually, producing only 1.5 million tonnes locally, with the remainder sourced from Punjab and other provinces.
Flour millers and K-P officials have expressed concern that the move violates constitutional rights and a recent deregulation agreement. Punjab authorities, however, denied imposing a formal ban but acknowledged setting up checkpoints to monitor what they described as “unusual” wheat movement.
Howver, yesterday during a press conference, 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 depends substantially on inter-provincial inflows to meet its essential food requirements.”
