Flour prices in Peshawar have jumped steeply, climbing by Rs20 per kilogram to reach Rs120 in the retail market. The sudden surge has pushed household expenses higher at a time when food inflation is already straining consumers.
Supply Restrictions Blamed
Flour dealers say the increase stems largely from Punjab’s restrictions on transporting flour to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. With reduced supply entering the province, the shortage has given room to hoarders—often described as the “grain mafia”—to drive prices even higher.
Dealers Sound the Alarm
Traders caution that unless the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government intervenes quickly—either by negotiating with Punjab to ease supply limits or by acting against artificial hoarding—the upward trend is unlikely to stop. Continued price hikes, they warn, could soon make flour unaffordable for large segments of the population, fueling broader inflation in basic food items.
