Qaim wants centre to buy Sindh’s wheat

Karachi
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah wants the federal government to buy 0.5 million tons of wheat from Sindh for export instead of 0.4 million and waive the condition of $4500 subsidy on each ton.
Qaim sought Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah’s help in this regard, who called on him at the Chief Minister House on Saturday.
The CM told Khurshhed Shah that the federal government was buying 800,000 tons of wheat from Punjab while only 400,000 tons of Sindh, saying "This is not fair and injustice to Sindh."
Khursheed told Qaim that he had taken up the Sindh case with Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, adding “I would talk to him again and convince him to lift 100,000 tons more wheat from Sindh. I'm sure he would oblige."
Qaim asserted that new wheat procurement season was approaching fast and questioned "Around a million tons of wheat is lying in our godowns. How would we procure the fresh crop?"
He apprised the opposition leader that the federal government allowed import of wheat without taking the Sindh government into confidence and as a result the province’s stocks kept on lying in godowns. "Since this decision has incurred loss on us, therefore, in principle the centre should pay subsidy from its own account.”