Flour Millers Threaten Strike Over Taxila Assault

A flour millers strike could hit Punjab’s flour supplies within days after the Pakistan Flour Mills Association issued a 48-hour ultimatum over the alleged assault of a Taxila mill owner. The association has warned that it will first suspend flour supplies across Rawalpindi Division, then halt supplies across Punjab within 72 hours, and follow that with a nationwide protest if its demands are not met.

The decision came at an emergency meeting of the association, chaired by its group leader Qaid Asim Raza Ahmed and Patron-in-Chief Tariq Sadiq. The association says police Security Branch personnel misbehaved with and assaulted Sheikh Abu Bakar, owner of Lasani Flour Mills in Taxila. It adds that police then registered a case against the mill owner and sealed the mill by force, allegedly to harass him.

Flour millers strike: the demands behind the ultimatum

The association has demanded that cases be registered against Security Branch personnel Zaheer and Zamin Shah for allegedly abusing their powers and assaulting the mill owner. It has also demanded the withdrawal of the FIR registered against Sheikh Abu Bakar.

In addition, it wants immediate legal action against the Food Department officials and police Security Branch personnel allegedly involved in the incident. The association condemned the episode as hooliganism and misuse of authority.

The group said it supported the Punjab government’s policies and described flour mill owners as responsible businesspeople who paid substantial taxes. However, it argued that police high-handedness was making it increasingly difficult for businesses to operate. The association has urged Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz to take immediate notice, alleging that the police and the Food Department were undermining the provincial government’s policies.

The timeline is short. If cases are not registered and the FIR is not withdrawn within two days, supplies across Rawalpindi Division stop. On the third day, supplies across Punjab stop. A nationwide protest would follow if the demands remain unmet.

Why a supply halt would bite quickly

Flour is a daily purchase for most households, and any break in supply reaches tandoors and kitchens fast. Rawalpindi district is already struggling with subsidised flour. The closure of one of the two major depots supplying subsidised flour to tandoors has severely affected the cheap roti scheme across the district.

Only around 150 out of 7,000 tandoors are reportedly receiving subsidised flour at the official rate from the remaining depot. As a result, the supply system is under strain before any strike begins. The sale of subsidised red-flour roti at 90 per cent of tandoors is suspended after sunset because of flour shortages.

The Naanbai Association has announced that it will not purchase expensive flour from the open market and sell roti at the subsidised price of Rs20 if cheap flour is not provided. Its Central President Shafiq Abbasi said tandoors in Rawalpindi district were supplied a 20kg bag of subsidised flour for Rs2,200 to sell roti at Rs20. Large tandoors previously received up to 10 bags daily, while small neighbourhood tandoors received up to five bags.

Flour prices and the wider food picture

The dispute lands at a sensitive time for food prices. Flour costs feed directly into roti prices, which matter most to low-income households. Feature Pakistan has reported that Karachi’s flour prices were the highest in Pakistan in October, and that the wheat support price was set at Rs4,500.

Wheat supply itself has been uneven. Feature Pakistan has also covered Sindh’s winter water shortage and its effect on wheat. Meanwhile, overall inflation eased in October, with Feature Pakistan reporting that October inflation fell to 9.6 per cent.

In Faisalabad, Feature Pakistan reported that food prices soared in October. A strike would therefore test both the government’s supply management and its handling of the police complaint at the centre of the dispute.

What happens next

The next 48 hours will decide whether the ultimatum holds. If the authorities register cases against the named officials and withdraw the FIR against the mill owner, the association’s stated reason for a strike falls away. If they do not, Rawalpindi Division faces a supply suspension, followed by a Punjab-wide halt.

The Chief Minister’s response will also matter. The association has framed its appeal as a request for notice, not as opposition to government policy. That framing leaves room for a settlement, but only if the police complaint is addressed on the record.

For households and tandoor owners, the practical question is simpler: whether flour keeps arriving. The association’s warning gives them two days to prepare. After that, the dispute moves from a police complaint to a supply crisis.

Frequently asked questions

Why are flour millers threatening a strike?

The Pakistan Flour Mills Association says police Security Branch personnel assaulted Sheikh Abu Bakar, owner of Lasani Flour Mills in Taxila, and that police then registered a case against him and sealed his mill. The association wants cases filed against the officials and the FIR against the owner withdrawn.

What is the 48-hour ultimatum?

The association has given the authorities 48 hours to register cases against the named Security Branch personnel and withdraw the FIR against the mill owner. If the demands are not met, it will suspend flour supplies across Rawalpindi Division.

What happens after 48 hours?

Supplies across Rawalpindi Division would stop first. On the third day, supplies across Punjab would halt. A nationwide protest would follow if the demands still remain unmet.

How does this affect subsidised roti in Rawalpindi?

Rawalpindi’s cheap roti scheme is already strained. Only around 150 of 7,000 tandoors are reportedly receiving subsidised flour at the official rate after one of two major depots closed. The Naanbai Association says it will not buy expensive open-market flour to sell roti at Rs20.

Who has the association appealed to?

The association has urged Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz to take immediate notice of the incident. It alleges that the police and the Food Department are undermining the provincial government’s policies.