Bakers Strike Stirs Flour Crisis in Peshawar

Peshawar bakers are on an indefinite strike, protesting the Punjab government's flour transport ban and lack of updated pricing by district officials. Rising flour costs, inflation, and power cuts have strained tandoor owners, pushing them to financial brink and demanding swift government intervention to prevent further economic fallout.

Bakers in Peshawar have launched an indefinite strike in response to the Punjab government's ban on transporting flour to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and the district administration's failure to revise the official price list. Tandoor owners, facing financial ruin, claim administrative inaction is at the root of the crisis, according to The Express Tribune.

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Nanbai Association, represented by Chairman Khishta Gul Mohmand and Joint Secretary Jehanzeb, condemned Punjab's restriction as "illegal" and unjustified. They reported a dramatic increase in flour prices, reaching up to PKR 1,700, disrupting the local market. The association calls for immediate intervention to resolve the crisis.

Bakers argue that rampant inflation, chronic power outages, and arbitrary administrative decisions have rendered business operations unsustainable. Numerous bakeries are financially strained and unable to cope with escalating costs. Soaring flour prices, combined with delayed regulatory action, have pushed the baking sector into turmoil, say association leaders.

Without an updated rate list, bakeries are subjected to fines and arrests during raids, fostering a climate of uncertainty. The Nanbai Association has demanded the lifting of the flour ban, prompt price list revisions, and an end to the crackdown on tandoor owners. They warn further inaction could have severe economic implications.

The strike will persist until demands are addressed, highlighting the precarious situation facing thousands of families reliant on the baking industry, reports The Express Tribune.

(With inputs from agencies.)