ISLAMABAD: Terming the wheat import scandal anti-national, the Pakistan People’s Party has demanded that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) immediately take action against those responsible and bring forth the facts as to why the import of lakhs of tons of wheat was allowed despite expectations of bumper wheat production.
“The national treasury has incurred billions of rupees in losses due to the import of wheat, while farmers are on the streets despite bumper wheat production,” said Secretary General Syed Nayyer Hussain Bukhari while demanding that the NAB investigate the wheat scandal in a statement on Monday.
Bukhari also said that the decision on the offer to join the government will be made by the Central Executive Committee. He emphasised that the authority to legislate lies solely with parliament. “The national public interest and constitutional amendments for reform and legislation are the hallmarks of the PPP, but it does not support legislation for the benefit of individuals,” he said.
He said that the PPP has given the democratic parliamentary system and is committed to ensuring the government remains in place by staying in parliament. Bukhari emphasised the importance of protecting the rights of farmers for economic improvement and agricultural development, urging the Punjab government to ensure the purchase of wheat. “Relief should be provided to the farmers, and measures should be taken to prevent hardships that may lead to disappointment among farmers next year,” he said. Regarding the current political situation, Nayyer Bukhari said that politics should be conducted through flexible behaviour and dialogue, rather than inflexible attitudes and hatred. “The fate of those who turn the sacred sphere of unity and agreement into hatred and enmity is evident to all,” he said. He asserted that genuine democratic leadership can lead the country out of crises.