LAHORE - Pakistan Flour Mills Association (PFMA) has demanded the Punjab government to immediately lift the inter-provincial ban imposed on the wheat and flour movement in order to ensure the availability of this food staple on the same rates across the country. "We have decided to move to the Supreme Court of Pakistan against the inter-provincial wheat movement ban imposed by the Punjab government. This action of the provincial government is creating price distortion of the food staple all over the country," Mohammad Naeem Butt, Central Chairman PFMA told reporters while addressing a press conference here on Tuesday. He said that the decision to this effect was taken during the meeting of PFMA central executive committee held here at PFMA-Punjab Branch office on Tuesday to discuss wheat availability and flour milling industry stance to get official wheat from government stocks. Sindh Branch Chairman Iqbal Dawood, NWFP Branch Chairman Haji Muhammad Sadiq, Punjab Branch Chairman Haji Habib-ur-Rehman Leghari, honorary advisor Dr Bilal Sufi and Executive Committee members were also present on this occasion besides others. We don't have any differences with the Punjab government but the flour milling industry has been left with no other option but to approach the Supreme Court to get its rights. A committee headed by honorary Advisor of PFMA Dr Bilal Sufi, has been constituted to contest the case in the apex court, he added. The flour millers also claimed that due to the inter-provincial wheat movement ban, the country is facing severe but artificial wheat shortage. The Central Chairman of PFMA Naeem Butt further said that the supply of flour would not improve until and unless the Punjab government lifts the inter-provincial ban on the wheat movement. He termed the import of 2.5 million tons of wheat as a futile effort of the federal government till the Punjab government would not lift the inter-provincial wheat movement ban. He also demanded that the federal government should fix an equal wheat release to all the provinces in order to ensure unified flour prices in the country. He claimed that the price of flour in the other province is now getting out of reach of common men while the Punjab govt had been artificially controlling the price of flour. He claimed that due to the wrong policy of inter-provincial wheat movement ban, the federation was being badly affected. He said that the Federal Food Committee (FFC) had imposed wheat movement ban in January 2008 and announced that it (ban) would be lifted before the procurement drive of the new crop. But despite the promise, the new government had not lifted the ban, he said. Responding to a question, Naeem said that the association had postponed the strike call after getting assurance from the Federal Minister for Food, Agriculture and Livestock (MINFAL) Nazar Muhammad Gondal that wheat release would be started from August to 15 to 20. "If the wheat releases will not start till August 20, then the association will call Central Committee meeting again to evolve future strategy," he replied. The association has also demanded of Punjab government to remove all the check posts immediately, he maintained.