KARACHI: (HRNW ) Senior leader of the PTI Lawyers Forum Karachi Division, Advocate Hasnain Ali Chauhan, has alleged that the continued rise in flour prices in Sindh despite a bumper wheat harvest reflects the provincial government’s failure to control the market and its inability to curb hoarding.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, Adv. Hasnain Chauhan said that although Sindh is an agricultural province with abundant wheat production, flour prices have continued to climb due to artificial shortages allegedly created by hoarders. He claimed that the Sindh government’s price control mechanism had failed to regulate prices, leaving consumers at the mercy of market forces.
He said flour was being sold for as much as Rs170 per kilogram in Karachi, making it increasingly difficult for ordinary citizens to afford basic food items. The increase in flour prices, he added, has also pushed up the cost of bread, naan and other flour-based products, placing an additional financial burden on low and middle-income families.
Chauhan criticised the Sindh government, saying that despite repeated meetings chaired by the chief minister on the issue of flour prices, no effective measures had been implemented to provide relief to the public. If the current situation persisted, he warned, flour prices could rise even further in the coming days.
The PTI Lawyers Forum leader also criticised the Pakistan Peoples Party, stating that the party’s slogan of “Roti, Kapra aur Makaan” had failed to translate into relief for the people. He alleged that poor governance and flawed economic policies had contributed to rising inflation, increasing poverty and worsening financial hardship for ordinary citizens.
He urged the provincial government to launch an immediate and indiscriminate crackdown on hoarders, eliminate artificial shortages of wheat and flour, strengthen the price control mechanism and ensure the availability of affordable, quality flour to consumers.
