Web desk: The Pakistan Naanbai Association has announced a complete shutdown strike starting Tuesday, November 5, to protest against the sharp rise in flour prices and action by local authorities.
According to sources, the association said tandoors will remain closed indefinitely.
Its leaders said cases are being filed against naanbais, tandoors are being sealed, and many workers have lost their jobs.
The association said that if the administration provides quality flour, naanbais will not raise the price of roti. They added that the price of flour has doubled in two months, but the government is not providing any subsidy.
Leaders of the association said there is also a shortage of natural gas, forcing tandoor owners to use LPG cylinders instead.
Earlier, in the dispute between the district administration, the Food Department, and the association, a temporary resolution was reached after talks.
The association had postponed its strike but later announced the new date of November 5.
Why are Tandoors Closed?
The Central President of the Naanbai Association, Shafiq Qureshi, said that when the Shehbaz Sharif government came to power, a 79-kg sack of red flour cost Rs5,500, but now the price has increased to Rs11,000.
Similarly, a bag of fine flour that was Rs6,200 now costs Rs12,600.
He said the strike is being held to protest the rising cost of flour, sealing of tandoors, and heavy fines ranging from Rs50,000 to Rs100,000.
“This system of costly flour and cheap bread can no longer be sustained,” said the Central President of the Naanbai Association, Shafiq Qureshi.
“The Prime Minister once vowed to sell his own clothes to provide affordable flour, yet now, it is the tandoor operators and bakers who are being stripped bare. Since the establishment of the new Price Enforcement Force, we have been subjected to relentless oppression,” he added.
All regional chapters in the Rawalpindi Division, including Rawalpindi, Attock, Jhelum, Chakwal, Talagang, and Murree, will take part in the strike. The Islamabad Naanbai Association has also announced its full support.
Tandoors to Remain Closed from Tomorrow
The strike will most likely affect daily wage workers, small restaurant owners, students, and low-income families who rely on tandoor bread for their meals. Hotels and food vendors that buy naan in bulk will also face problems.
According to the association, if the government does not restore full gas supply to tandoors, reduce gas and electricity prices, and stop sealing and arrests by PERA, the shutdown strike will continue from November 5.
