Riots, stampedes across Pakistan as food crisis worsens

Islamabad: Even as a severe food shortage ravages Pakistan amid a spiralling economic crisis, stampedes were reported in markets across the country due to shortage of wheat. Stampedes were reported from several markets in the provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh and Balochistan. In other regions of Pakistan, a 10 kg sack of flour is priced at around Rs 1,500 and 20 kg sacks are being sold at Rs 2,800. According to a report by ‘The Express Tribune’, thousands of people are forced to stand for hours in long queues for subsidized sacks of flour as there is a severe shortage of wheat in the normal market. The insurgency-affected provinces of Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are the worst affected along with Sindh and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). Even Punjab - the traditional heartland of Pakistan that totally dominates the military and bureaucracy - is also suffering. Amid the worsening economic situation in Pakistan, the administration of Balochistan has sent an urgent missive to the central government informing them about the complete lack of wheat in the province. Addressing the media, Balochistan food minister Zamarak Khan said that the provincial government has run out of wheat stock. Sending an SOS to the governments of Punjab and Sindh, he urged the other provinces to help Balochistan. “We are facing a very serious crisis and need 600,000 bags of wheat on an emergency basis,” he said. Blaming the federal, Sindh and Punjab governments for the wheat crisis in Balochistan, the minister said that Punjab Chief Minister Pervez Elahi has not fulfilled his promise to provide 600,000 bags of wheat. “Islamabad, Punjab and Sindh have refused to provide wheat to Balochistan,” he rued. “The federal government has given 400,000 flour bags to utility stores but no share was given to Balochistan,” he added. Read all the Latest News , Trending News ,  Cricket News , Bollywood News , India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.