Why Pakistanis are running short of bread and bakery items?

Flour crisis shuts bakeries in Pakistan

Bakers across Peshawar have launched an indefinite strike to protest the Punjab government’s ban on transporting flour to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the district administration’s failure to issue a revised official price list.

Tandoor owners said the administrative oversight has brought them to the brink of financial ruin, according to The Express Tribune.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Nanbai Association (Peshawar district) Chairman Khishta Gul Mohmand and Joint Secretary Jehanzeb described Punjab’s restriction on flour supply as "illegal" and unjustified.

They added that the measure has triggered an unprecedented surge in flour prices, with increases reaching up to PKR 1,700, severely disrupting the already fragile local market.

The association leaders said that a combination of steep inflation, chronic power outages, and what they called arbitrary actions by the local administration has made routine business increasingly unsustainable for tandoor owners.

Many bakeries, they explained, are unable to absorb the rising costs, leaving owners struggling to maintain their livelihoods.

Officials noted that soaring flour prices in recent months, coupled with a lack of regulatory intervention, have pushed the sector into crisis.

They further criticised the district administration for repeatedly delaying the issuance of a new rate list.

Without updated pricing guidelines, bakers said they are frequently penalised during raids, facing fines and even arrests.

This, they argued, has created a climate of uncertainty and harassment at a time when the industry is already under immense financial pressure, as cited by The Express Tribune.

The Nanbai Association demanded three immediate steps: lifting the flour supply ban imposed by Punjab, issuing a revised price notification without further delay, and halting the ongoing crackdown on tandoor owners.

They warned that if the government fails to address these issues promptly, the economic toll on bakeries across the province will worsen.

The association said the strike will continue until their demands are met, emphasising that the livelihoods of thousands of families are at stake, as reported by The Express Tribune.