Punjab’s unannounced restrictions on the interprovincial movement of wheat have triggered a fresh crisis, sparking flour shortages and sending prices skyrocketing in provinces that depend on Punjab’s supplies.
Though provincial officials have denied imposing a formal ban, they have admitted to setting up checkpoints at exit points to curb what they described as “unusual wheat movement.” For flour millers, opposition parties, and affected provinces, however, the move is nothing short of a violation of constitutional rights and a reversal of Pakistan’s recent push toward deregulated markets.
The fallout has been swift and severe. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where residents rely heavily on Punjab’s surplus, flour prices have jumped by nearly 68%. A 20kg bag that previously cost around Rs 1,800 now sells for as high as Rs 2,800, making an essential staple nearly unaffordable for countless families already battered by inflation.
Politicians in KP have reacted with fury: Governor Faisal Karim Kundi called the restrictions a “blatant violation of Article 151” and a “serious breach of national unity,” while the provincial assembly passed a unanimous resolution condemning Punjab’s move. The All-Pakistan Flour Mills Association (PFMA) has echoed these concerns, warning that the policy undermines both the Constitution and investor confidence in the sector.
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This is not the first time Pakistan has encountered such turmoil. Wheat shortages and restrictions on interprovincial trade have flared up again and again in recent years — in 2020, 2022, and 2023 — usually following poor harvests, floods, or disruptions in the supply of critical farm inputs like urea and DAP fertilizers.
Traditionally, Punjab cushioned these shocks by procuring and stocking more than four million tonnes of wheat annually to stabilize prices. But that role has been scaled back under international agreements, leaving other provinces more exposed.
Punjab officials kept on insisting that their measures are highly crucial to ensure food security within the province and prevent smuggling and hoarding. They argue that each province is responsible for its own food security under the National Finance Commission award.
Yet, market analysts counter that such restrictions create artificial shortages, push prices even higher and ultimately harm both consumers and farmers.
Indeed, farmers are among the worst affected. Many fear they will not receive fair prices for their crops, discouraging them from planting wheat in the next season. Such a trend could shrink domestic production, forcing Pakistan to rely on costly imports — a burden the struggling economy can not able to afford.
Experts keep on giving warning that unless the federal government intervenes to restore the free flow of wheat across provinces and back deregulation with strong legal protections, Pakistan risks sliding into yet another full-blown food crisis.
What is urgently needed, they argue, is a stable, transparent, and consistent policy framework that balances consumer requirements with farmer incentives and upholds the constitutional principle of free trade across the federation.