The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government has formally written to the Punjab administration, demanding the immediate removal of restrictions on the supply of wheat and flour to the province.

The letter, issued by the KP Food Department on the directives of Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, stated that Punjab’s decision to block wheat transportation has severely affected KP, leading to disruptions in the province’s flour supply chain.

According to the letter, the Food Department maintained that under Article 151(1) of the Constitution, free trade and movement of goods between provinces is a federally guaranteed right, and Punjab’s curbs contravene the principles of inter-provincial harmony.

“The prevailing restrictions have severely disrupted the flow of wheat and flour into the province, thereby threatening food availability and destabilising market prices,” the letter read, urging Punjab to lift all restrictions on the transportation of wheat and flour.

The food department stressed that the province was affected by the restrictions “disproportionately, with the steepest surge in wheat and flour prices compared to other provinces”.