PM Shahbaz Sharif unhappy over failure to meet wheat procurement target

ISLAMABAD: Expressing his displeasure over the delay in procurement of wheat by the provinces, Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif stressed the completion of the process by June 1.

Chairing a meeting on Monday, the premier expressed his annoyance over the non-fulfilment of procurement targets and directed Minister for National Food Security and Research Tariq Bashir Cheema to set up an urgent committee for transparent distribution of imported wheat in the provinces.

The prime minister said the people could not be made to suffer and the federal government would provide flour at a lower price.

He directed to fix the price of 10-kg flour at Rs490 at the Utility Stores and also stressed steps to ensure the same price in the open market in all the provinces.

The prime minister said such a delaying approach could not be tolerated and vowed that the federal government would extend all possible assistance to provinces.

He said beyond politics, the federal government would do everything possible to help the government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

PM Sharif said serving the poor was the responsibility of the government.

The meeting was attended by federal ministers Tariq Bashir Cheema, Marriyum Aurangzeb and officials of the relevant ministries. The provincial chief secretaries joined the meeting through video-link.