Pakistan sees surge in wheat, flour prices; crisis worsened

Pakistan: The Asian country of Pakistan has been witnessing one of the worst flour crisis in several areas of Kyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh and Balochistan provinces. The crisis has been caused because of the massive shortage of wheat and as per various reports, more than half of the population of Pakistan has been struggling to get the subsidized bags of flour because of its shortage.

The roads and streets of Pakistan are filled with people gathered around flour vans and vehicles. However, the police of the nation have reported several cases of clashes at the distribution place.

The crisis has directly influenced the prices of wheat and flour, resulting in a significant surge. According to the local media of Pakistan, in Karachi, the cost of flour has reached Rs 140 per kg, and the price of 10 kg flour in Islamabad and Peshawar is Rs 1,500; on the contrary, the price of 20 kg bag is Rs 2,800. Additionally, the cost of flour in Punjab province is Rs 160 per kg.

The Food Minister of Balochistan, Zamark Achakzai, said that the province has been seeing a decrease in wheat and there is an urgent need for 40,000 sacks of wheat; otherwise, the situation with worsen. He further claimed that the problem is somewhere similar in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where the price of a 20 kg wheat bag is Rs 3,100.

The media has informed that because of the chaos near the flour-delivering vehicles, cases of death have been reported. Media, while citing the example of a labourer, stated that 40-year-old Harisingh Kolhi fell on the road and was crushed by the surrounding people. Following his death, the family of the labourer has been demanding justice. Cases of clashes have also been reported in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the past weeks over the increased prices. It is also reported that the food crisis happened due to the brawl between the federal and Punjab governments.