Sufficient reserves of wheat are available in the country & no one will be allowed to create an artificial shortage: PM Shehbaz

ISLAMABAD, Jan 12 (SABAH): Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has said sufficient reserves of wheat are available in the country and no one will be allowed to create an artificial shortage of the commodity for illegal profiteering.

PM Shehbaz Sharif said this while chairing a high-level emergency meeting regarding the artificial shortage of wheat and flour in the country, hoarders and illegal profiteering.

The Prime Minister advised the provinces to ensure timely supply of wheat to flour mills from their own and PASSCO stocks. He said the federating units should improve their governance for timely delivery of wheat and its flour. He said prices of a forty kilogrammes of wheat flour by around 1,000 rupees in last five days due to effective measures taken by the government, which is a welcoming sign.

PM Shehbaz Sharif said the relevant federal and provincial institutions should take strict measures against hoarders of flour and wheat.  He said strict action will be taken against those responsible for creating inflation through artificial shortage.

The meeting reviewed the existing wheat stock in the country. It was told that sufficient stock of wheat is available in the country and provinces are being asked to speed up the delivery of wheat from the PASSCO reservoirs to the flour mills. Moreover, 1.3 million metric tons of imported wheat has also reached the country, while the similar amount of stock will arrive by the end of this month.

It was said that the carry-forward stock of wheat will be 1.4 million metric tons by the end of this year’s season, which is enough to meet the Pakistan’s food needs before the advent of the next season.

The meeting was attended by Minister for National Food Security and Research Chaudhry Tariq Bashir Cheema, Advisor to PM on Establishment Ahad Khan Cheema and other officials.