Rawalpindi, Islamabad flour mills end strike after successful talks

ISLAMABAD: Flour mills association has announced to withdraw its strike call in Rawalpindi and Islamabad against the government’s curbs on buying wheat from local quota, bringing an end to an imminent shortage of the commodity, ARY NEWS reported.

According to details, the government has made a breakthrough in talks with the flour mills association after the former decided to allow the provision of local wheat quota to mills.

The flour mills association after the assurance withdrew their strike and said that the director food has assured them that the restriction to lift 25 percent wheat quota from other districts would be lifted after approval from the provincial cabinet.

The mills’ association announced to observe a strike in Rawalpindi and Islamabad on Monday.

The association officials on Sunday said that the flour mills have been instructed to procure wheat from South Punjab. Asim Raza complained about the additional payment of Rs350 per sack by the flour mills if they went to purchase wheat from South Punjab.

He demanded the authorities provide wheat to the mills in the Rawalpindi division from the local quota. Raza added that a 20-kilogram sack of flour could not reach the market due to the non-cooperative behaviour of the Rawalpindi administration.

Asim Raza said that the stock of 15-kilogram sack of flour was sent to the market to facilitate the citizens.