ISLAMABAD (APP) - Pakistan Flour Mills Association (PFMA) has asked the government to lift ban on transportation of wheat between districts to meet shortage of flour in the country. The President of the Association Shabir Ahmad told APP on Tuesday that since several districts of the Punjab including Rawalpindi and Jhelum were lacking wheat production, thus the government should lift ban on Inter-district movement of wheat to overcome the situation. He said about 85 flour mills working in twin cities for provision of wheat flour, but owing to inadequate wheat supply to these mills, most of them were being closed. He said the association was aware of the masses' difficulties confronting them in wake of shortage of flour, but in such situation, he added, the government could do better by allowing free wheat movement to overcome flour shortage. He said the association had held several rounds of talks with the concerned to work out viable solution to the crisis, but the later had not implemented their suggestions completely, as yet. He said that these 85 flour mills were producing up to 5000 tons of flour on daily basis while the supply of wheat was less, leading to gap between demand and supply. He said that with closure of some units, the owners had to bear millions of rupees in loss but they were helpless, he added. He also demanded of the government to chalk out an effective strategy while talking all stakeholders on board to solve the issue of shortage of flour permanently and avoid such situation in future as well. Replying to a question, he said that the association was paying heed to instructions of the government and was cooperating it if its proposals were workable and in the interest of masses.