NA body concerned over import of substandard wheat from Ukraine

Despite surplus stock in godowns…

ISLAMABAD: Lawmakers of the National Assembly on Wednesday expressed serious concern over the import of ‘substandard’ wheat from Ukraine, despite the country having carryover surplus stock of thousands of tons in its godowns for the last three years, as export was not made possible due to low international prices.

The Ministry of National Food Security and Research did not satisfy them when it was asked why substandard wheat was imported from Ukraine. However, the Food Ministry officials, including Federal Minister for Food Security and Research Sikander Hayat Bosan, were of the view that the import was allowed by the Commerce Ministry and not by their ministry.

The National Assembly’s Standing Committee on National Food Security and Research met here with MNA Malik Shakir Bashir Awan to discuss godowns/warehouses for wheat storage all over the country and wheat procurement by the Pakistan Agricultural Storage & Services Corporation Ltd (Passco) for the current year. To the surprise of many, the federal minister for food security apprised the committee that Passco godowns at Karachi having capacity of 17,600 metric tons were under illegal occupation of private parties for the last 22 years.

MNA Salman Baloch raised the point for not making the inquiry report public submitted to the NA Standing Committee of National Food & Security and Research, which had constituted the sub-committee for probing the import of substandard wheat from Ukraine.

After the probe, the sub-committee had been submitted it to the concerned committee some six months back. Salman said that the sub-committee after thoroughly probing had also fixed the responsibility against some officials belonging to Customs and Plant Protection Department of Pakistan. Salman further said, “The incumbent head of the Department of Plant Protection Imran Shami had shifted DPP sub-office from the Karachi Port Trust (KPT) to a container in Malir, and alleged that clearance certificates for import and of such commodities were issued from this container office without checking samples at the site, which also raised questions of transparency in the import and export procedure.

Salman also questioned as to why a permanent DPP head was not appointed despite directives of the Establishment Division and ruling of SHC to remove the present one and appoint an eligible person at the post. However, the ministry did not give any satisfactory response in this regard.

The MD Passco, Capt (retd) Tariq Masood, apprised the committee about the functions of Passco including the provision of food security at national level, by maintaining strategic reserves of wheat and supply of wheat to deficit provinces like AJK, GB as well as the armed forces, etc.