Protesters demand closure of flour mills, subsidized wheat

CHITRAL: People belonging to different political parties and civil society organizations staged a protest sit-in here on Friday, demanding the closure of flour mills and supply of wheat to consumers at subsidized rates as was the case in the past.

Protesters in a large number reached polo ground and held a rally to the Chitral bazaar area which was led by former district nazim Maghfirat Shah. The participants of the rally later returned to the polo ground and started the sit-in. All markets in the city remained closed in protest.

In Asuret, a protest gathering was also held with the demand to the government to shut down the flour mills and resume supply of wheat form government godowns and sale points across Chitral.

At a protest seven days ago, the local people also demanded that the government should stop supplying subsidized wheat to millers and restore the past practice of selling wheat at sale points across Chitral to benefit the common man. 

The protesters also demanded of the government to revise its decision of increasing the wheat price when the consumers were already hit hard by rising inflation. 

The protesters said repeated protests and appeals against the supply of substandard wheat flour form these mills fell on deaf ears. And to rub salt into the wounds of the Chitralis, the current government increased the price of wheat from Rs6,000 per bag of to Rs12,000 per bag – a 100pc hike.

The protesters in Chitral said they would continue the sit-in untill their demands were met by the government.