Report on wheat crisis to be presented in one week: Dr Firdous

ISLAMABAD: Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan said on Thursday that a comprehensive report on the wheat crisis will be presented to the cabinet in one week. 

The prime minister's aide was briefing the media on the federal cabinet's meeting. Dr Firdous said that Prime Minister Imran Khan had sought a report on the wheat crisis in a week.

Read more: Sugar, wheat crisis a result of government's negligence, admits PM Imran

She said that utility stores were playing an important role in reducing the prices of essential food items. "Prices of basic food items are decreasing day by day," said Dr Firdous. 

Dr Firdous said that the cabinet was given a detailed briefing on the wheat crisis. She said that the cabinet was informed that wheat will be imported when its price goes down in the international market.

"The federal government has decided to release 100,000 tonnes of wheat for Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa," she said. "The Punjab Agricultural Storage and Services Corporation (PASSCO) already has 2.8 million tonnes of wheat in its storage," she added. 

She said that the federal government had come to the provinces' aid who had not procured wheat according to its demand. "In future, provinces should procure wheat according to their targets," said the prime minister's aide. 

Dr Firdous said that a mafia was behind the sugar and wheat crisis which had taken hold of the country. She said that those responsible for the artificial crisis will not escape justice. 

Lashing out at the PML-N indirectly, she said people were targeting the Prime Minister's Office from abroad for political motives. 

Read more: How the wheat crisis unfolded across Pakistan

She said that the government has decided not to increase the prices of electricity and gas. Dr Firdous said PM Imran had issued directives to relevant authorities to ensure that basic food items were available in ample quantity during the month of Ramazan.  

Last month, wheat and sugar prices skyrocketed across the country after the food items were scarce in the market. A report forwarded to the prime minister stated that senior politicians and government officials were involved in the wheat crisis. 

Opposition parties as well as coalition allies of the government criticised it for the wheat and sugar crisis, prompting PM Imran to announce a "grand operation" against the perpetrators who caused the artificial crisis.