Pakistan Flour Mills Association (PFMA-Punjab) has announced to observe token strike against raids being conducted by the Punjab Food Authority (PFA) and pressure on mills to report their working to the PFA from Friday. According to the programme released by the PFMA Punjab, in first phase Lahore flour mills will observe token strike on Friday, in which they would not wash the wheat and stop grinding from Saturday.
‘If the demands are not accepted then the millers across the province will go on strike,’ said former PFMA President Asim Ahmad Raza while addressing an emergent press conference here on Thursday. Asim Ahmad Raza alleged that the Authority is conducting illegal raids on the flour mills and imposing fines on the pretext of unsatisfactory cleanliness. He said there are 36 districts in the province but raids are being conducted in Lahore only. Asim said mills are registered with the Punjab Food Department and they are regularly reporting to it.
Pressure by the Punjab Food Authority on mills to report it is unnecessary and illegal, Asim Raza added. Asim Raza said that 15 mills of Lahore had been fined from Rs 20,000 to 30,000 during last two days and numerous have been issued show cause notices too. He warned that if the Authority continued to pressurise the mills then mills across the province would go on strike and the Punjab government would be responsible for the consequences.
