Rawalpindi's nanbai association announces shutter-down strike

RAWALPINDI: Nanbai Association, Rawalpindi on Sunday announced to observe a complete shutter down strike from Monday (tomorrow) to press for fulfillment of their demands.

The association has appealed to nanbais across the city to keep their businesses shut and join a march towards D-Chowk in Islamabad to get their demands, including reversal of wheat flour and fine flour rates to their previous prices, accepted.

Office-bearers of the association said nanbais are unable to pay their overdue bills of natural gas and shop rents because they are being forced to sell roti and nan (flatbread) at old rates despite skyrocketing prices of flour.

They lamented that the district administration has failed to bring down flour rates.

Earlier today, Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar said the provincial government’s effective and timely measures stabilised prices of wheat and flour in the province.

In a statement, he said Punjab is the only province where a wheat flour bag weighing 20 kilogrammes is being sold at official rates. He vowed to keep on taking such steps in future to ensure stability in prices of essential commodities.

Being the province’s chief executive, it is his responsibility to protect rights of people of the province, CM Usman Buzdar maintained, pledging to not let anyone exploit public.