Senate uproar as opposition claims govt hid wheat report

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) senators and their Opposition counterparts traded barbs in the Upper House on Tuesday after the government was accused of shielding those responsible for the sugar and wheat crises by “hiding” a Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) report on the matter.

The heated exchange in the Senate began when Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Senator Pervaiz Rashid asked the government to “expose the thieves” who gave away wheat as poultry feed. “Who are the thieves who gave away wheat — food for human consumption — to chickens? Why is the FIA report being hidden?” he asked.

Fellow PML-N Senator Mushahidullah Khan angered PTI’s Faisal Javed Khan when he called Prime Minister Imran Khan the “prime minister of thieves”.

“He is not our Prime Minister, he is your selected Prime Minister and the Prime Minister of thieves,” he said angrily, prompting Faisal to shout back at him.

Mushahidullah called on the Senate chairman to silence Faisal and let him continue speaking. “The FIA conducted a probe and held three people responsible. Two men and one woman [were named in the report],” he claimed. “The whole world knows who is the sugar and wheat thief,” he added.

Several weeks ago, Prime Minister Khan tasked the FIA to investigate the wheat and sugar crises. He had stated in a tweet that he would not relent till those responsible for hoarding, smuggling wheat and sugar to raise prices were punished.

Prices of wheat and sugar skyrocketed last month after the food items disappeared from markets across the country.