The tandoor owners (naanbais) strike in Rawalpindi has entered its third consecutive day, causing serious inconvenience for residents. With most tandoors across the city closed, many households have resumed baking bread at home to meet daily needs.
As a result of the ongoing strike, there has been a noticeable increase in the sale of bakery items, such as cakes, buns, and sheermal, as citizens seek alternatives to traditional naan and roti.
The Naanbai Association has now announced plans to expand the strike across Punjab, escalating their protest against rising flour prices.
According to Shafiq Qureshi, President of the Naanbai Association,
We are preparing to launch a ‘fill the jails’ movement (Jail Bharo Tehreek). It’s impossible for us to keep selling roti for Rs. 14 when a sack of red wheat flour now costs Rs. 10,500. When this government took over, the same bag was priced at Rs. 5,500. Similarly, fine flour (maida) that once cost Rs. 6,200 per sack has now reached Rs. 12,000.
Qureshi further criticized the Punjab Enforcement Regulatory Authority (PERA) for what he described as “insulting behavior and unfair fines,” stating that penalties against tandoor owners range from Rs. 50,000 to Rs. 100,000.
He added that negotiations with the administration have yielded no meaningful results, and that a key meeting is being held today to determine the next steps, including expanding the strike and launching the Jail Bharo campaign across Punjab.
