Aftermath of conclusive FIA findings about wheat scandal

ISLAMABAD: A couple of political and bureaucratic figures were either removed or sought their sidelining on account of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) inquiry report into the wheat scandal but no action has been taken against most of those held responsible by the findings.

Punjab Food Minister Samiullah Chaudhry chose to hand his resignation on April 6 two days after the inquiry report was made public by the federal government.

He claimed that baseless allegations are being leveled against him for the last few days in reference to not introducing reforms in the food department and said he didn’t consider himself qualified for the office until proven not guilty.

At the same time, former Punjab Food Secretary Naseem Sadiq, who was working as the commissioner of Dera Ghazi Khan, opted for his sidelining after openly challenging through a letter to the chief secretary the probe report.

He termed it an abortive attempt to save the nexus of the flour mafia and their benefactors by deflecting flour crisis to wheat procurement.

He sought a judicial inquiry into the matter to unfold the truth and said that the inquiry committee has attempted to mislead Prime Minister Imran Khan.

While Punjab Food Director Zafar Iqbal was relieved of his assignment and made officer on special duty (OSD), Zafar Nasrullah, figuring in the report as the food secretary, has now been posted as the additional chief secretary.

The FIA report contained a lot of material against Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar for making massive changes in the food department that led to the serious flour crisis. He admitted during his interview with the committee that certain changes were made due to political pressure. According to the report, dozens of food department officers were repeatedly posted and transferred on his orders and he also changed four secretaries in seven-month time.

At the federal level, food secretary Dr Hashim Popalzai was also removed the day the FIA report was released. However, Sahibzada Mehboob Sultan, who was the food minister at the time of the wheat/flour crisis, continues in the central cabinet as the States & Frontier Regions minister.

The report said that Mehboob Sultan told the probe team that he personally stayed in regular contact with the then chief of the Pakistan Storage and Services Corporation (Passco) and regularly instructed him to meet the wheat procurement target and that the Passco chief was concerned over the quality of wheat available for procurement. The FIA concluded that the explanation given by him does not hold much ground as Passco had an open field to procure wheat both in Sindh and Punjab.

In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), provincial Food Minister Qalandar Lodhi continues to hold the same portfolio. Food Director Saadat Hussain has been removed.

The report said it is obvious that the procurement shortfall in KP was alarming. KP could only procure 17% of its procurement target in the year 2019. The food minister and director could not justify if the massive procurement shortfall could be attributed entirely to the imposition of temporary ban on wheat movement. With regard to public procurement, there seems to be a dependency syndrome that the KP food department suffers from. Hence, the committee identified the food minister and others responsible for failure to meet procurement target.

An official explained to The News that the inquiry report itself is not a formal FIR against anybody, and an investigation agency – FIA, National Accountability Bureau (NAB) or anti-corruption establishment – has the powers to act on these findings and need no instructions from the government. However, authorities may also refer the report to any agency for further inquiry and action.