Increase in roti price in Peshawar challenged in court

PESHAWAR: The increase in the price of roti from Rs10 to Rs15 by the district administration was challenged in the Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Saturday.

The decision was challenged by one Afaq Hussain and other citizens through their lawyer Muhammad Khurshid Khan in the court.

Following a daylong shutter down strike by nanbais on Thursday, the district administration agreed to increase roti price from Rs10 to Rs15.

The agreement to raise the price of roti, the bread made of wheat flour which is the staple diet of the people, was made during a meeting between the officials of the Peshawar district administration and representatives of the Nanbai Association.

The Nanbai Association president Haji Mohammad Iqbal said the strike had been called off after the agreement with the district administration.

One roti would now weigh 190 gram instead of 150 gram as was the case earlier and would be sold for Rs15, he added.

The abrupt decision was severely criticised by the public in the social media. Commentators demanded withdrawal of the decision and transfer of the deputy commissioner Peshawar for succumbing to the pressure of the owners of the tandoors who bake rotis.

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government through the chief secretary, deputy commissioner Peshawar and president Nanbai Association Muhammad Iqbal were made parties in the petition. The petition noted that before the budget the price of one roti was Rs10, but after the budget the Nanbai Association pressured the district administration to increase the price to Rs15.

It said the district administration accepted the demand of the Nanbai Association after a day-long strike during which the tandoors remained closed causing difficulties for the customers. The petitioners maintained that the Nanbai Association managed to get an increase in the price of roti in the past as well by agreeing to provide roti weighing more but this wasn’t ensured.

The petitioners submitted that majority of people are underprivileged and increase in the price of roti, which is basic need of every person, would mean that many households won’t be able to buy enough bread for their need.

The petitioners wondered why the elected representatives and the Price Review Committee were not consulted while taking the decision to increase the price of roti.

The petitioners requested the court to declare the Peshawar district administration’s unilateral decision void and order restoration of the old roti price of Rs10.